A $79.2 million jury verdict against R.J. Reynolds has been overturned on apeal. The jury in North Florida had found in favor of a dead smoker’s daughter. This overturns one of the largest of the recent wrongful death verdicts against cigarette manufacturers.<\/p>\n
The case will now return to Levy County Circuit Court by order of the 1st District Court of Appeal, with instructions to determine a lesser amount of damages for the death of James Cayce Horner, who succumbed to lung cancer in 1996, at the age of 78. Horner took up smoking in the 1930s, when he was a teenager. Some of his preferred brands included Pall Mall, Lucky Strike and Camel. Diane Webb, his daughter, sued R.J. Reynolds, claiming wrongful death, negligence and fraud.<\/p>\n
The jury heard some emotionally charged testimony about how Mr. Horner helped care for his granddaughter, who suffered from a congenital condition. (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A $79.2 million jury verdict against R.J. Reynolds has been overturned on apeal. The jury in North Florida had found in favor of a dead smoker’s daughter. This overturns one of the largest of the recent wrongful death verdicts against…<\/span><\/p>\n