Reynolds Rejected by Court on $20 Million Smoker Award
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The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a $20 million award against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and a second cigarette maker, rebuffing the tobacco industry’s latest effort to derail thousands of Florida suits.
The justices today refused to hear a joint appeal from R.J. Reynolds and Vector Group Ltd.’s Liggett unit. A jury said the two companies were responsible for the death of Janie Mae Clay, who smoked for 40 years and died in 2003 of lung disease.