Overview
Litigation against the tobacco industry came in three “waves”. The first wave of consisted of just eight cases over the period of 1954-1970. Defendants — i.e., the tobacco companies — eventually prevailed in all eight cases. The second wave spanned the years 1983-1994 and featured ten landmark cases. And the third wave spans the years from 1995 to the present and has seen a remarkable expansion in the number of cases.
The Chronology
Following is a chronological listing of events in the litigation timeline, with links to cases, decisions, and people documented on this site.
- 1954
- 3/10 – Ira C. Lowe v RJR – filed
- “First wave” begins
- 10/30 – Otto E. Pritchard v L&M – filed
- 11/23 – John T. Ross v PM – filed
- 1955
- 8/12 Lartigue v RJR, L&M – filed
- 1957
- 12/20 Green v American Tobacco – filed
- 1960
- 8/2 Green v American Tobacco – General verdict for Defendant
- 10/11 Lartigue v RJR, L&M – verdict for Defendant
- 1963
- 8/13 Zagurski v American Tobacco – filed
- 1964
- Surgeon General’s Report published
- 1/20 Fine, Jr. v PM – filed
- 5/3 Fine, Jr. v PM – dismissed
- 5/15 Fine, Jr. v PM – reconstituted against Tobacco et al
- 11/64 Green v American Tobacco – retried with verdict for Defendant
- 1965
- 5/8 Weaver v American Tobacco – filed
- 1966
- 5/12 Thayer v L&M – filed
- Original cigarette package warning label
- 1967
- 5/1 Fine, Jr. v PM – case dismissed
- 6/15 Zagurski v American Tobacco – verdict for Defendant
- 1969
- 12/12 Thayer v L&M – verdict for Defendant
- Revised cigarette package warning label
- 1970-1985
- 4/3/70 Weaver v American Tobacco – verdict for Defendant
- Green v American Tobacco – cert denied
- Banzhaf memo
- No new trials
- Pending cases in 1970: 24
- Pending cases in 1985: 85
- 1980-1982
- 1983
- “Second Wave” begins
- 2/10 Galbraith v RJR, American Tobacco – filed
- 8/1 Cipollone v L&M, PM, Lorillard – filed
- 1984
- 2/22 Haines/Rossi v LM, Lorillard, RJR, PM, Tobacco Institute
- 7/5 Roysdon v RJR – filed
- 1985
- Industry lawyers Jones Day “…keep the focus of theatrical on personal choice.”
- 1986
- 3/6 Kotler v American Tobacco – filed
- 5/9 Horton v American Tobacco – filed
- 1987
- 1988
- 1/6 Merrell Williams begins work for Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs
- 6/24 Gunsalus (Girton) v American Tobacco, OCF, Eagle-Picher, Keene – verdict for Defendant
- 1990
- 2/13 Kotler v American Tobacco – directed and jury verdict for Defendant
- 9/1 Horton v American Tobacco – verdict for Plaintiff – $0 damages
- 1991
- Leardi v Lorillard – verdict for Defendant
- 1992
- 10/2 Mangini v RJR – filed, summary judgment
- 11/18 Kueper v RJR, Tobacco Institute – opened, verdict for Defendant
- 1993
- 6/17 Wilks v American Tobacco – verdict for Defendant
- 7/14 Mangini v RJR – summary judgment reversed
- 9/29 Wyatt, Tarant sues Merrell Williams over “secret” tobacco papers
- 1994
- 1/27 Covert v L&M, Lorillard, et al – verdict for Defendant
- 3/29 Castano v American Tobacco – opened
- Waxman Hearings
- 5/23 The State of Mississippi v American Tobacco et. al. – filed
- 1995
- “Third wave” begins
- 2/2-2/18 Rogers v RJR – tried
- 2/10 Carter v B&W – filed
- 9/1 Horowitz v Lorillard – verdict for Plaintiff
- Florida Attorney General Complaint
- 1996
- 8/5 Rogers v RJR – retried
- 8/9 Carter v B&W – verdict for Plaintiff
- 8/23 Rogers v RJR – verdict for Defendant
- 1997
- 7/3 The State of Mississippi v American Tobacco et. al. – settled for $3.6 billion
- 7/21 Broin v L&M –
- 8/25 Florida Attorney General settles cases for $11.3
- Liggett & Myers settles Attorneys General cases
- 12/18 Bliley posts 843 L&M documents
- 12/30 Lorillard pays $1.5 million to family of Milton Horowitz
- 1998
- 1/16 Texas Attorney General settles cases for $14 billion
- 5/8 Minnesota and Blue Cross/Blue Shield v PM et al – settled for $6.1 billion
- 6/10 Widdick v B&W – verdict for Plaintiff
- 6/22 Carter v B&W – verdict for Plaintiff reversed
- 8/13 Widdick v B&W – FL appeals court ruled that the trial was held in the wrong county
- 11/23 Master Settlement Agreement (with 46 states and 5 territories) executed
- Engle v Philip Morris
- 1999
- Tobacco document websites go online
- Tobacco Documents Online
- 2002 LTDL (Legacy Tobacco Documents Library)
- U.S. Department of Justice trial commences – fraud and R.I.C.O. allegations
- Williams v Philip Morris – filed (Portland OR)
- Ironworkers v Philip Morris
- Henley v Philip Morris
- Tobacco document websites go online
- 2000
- Whiteley – verdict for Plaintiff
- Engle II – verdict for the Plaintiff
- Amodeo (Engle test)
- Della Vecchia (Engle test)
- Farnan (Engle test) – verdict for Plaintiff
- Traverso (Engle test)
- Anderson (Engle test)
- 11/22 Carter v B&W – FL Supreme Court reinstates verdict
- 2001
- 1/25 Falise v American Tobacco, et al – hung jury/mistrial
- 3/8 Carter v B&W – Defendant pays
- 6/29 Falise v American Tobacco, et al – dismissed with prejudice
- Boeken v PM – verdict for Plaintiff
- Kenyon – verdict for Plaintiff
- 2002
- 2/2 Burton – verdict for Plaintiff
- Bullock v Philip Morris – verdict for Plaintiff
- Schwarz – verdict for Plaintiff
- Lukacs – verdict for Plaintiff
- French – verdict for Plaintiff
- Gilboy – verdict for Defendant
- Butler – verdict for Defendant
- Apostolou – verdict for Defendant
- 2003
- Whiteley
- Miles v Philip Morris – verdict for Plaintiff
- Boerner – verdict for Plaintiff
- Eastman – verdict for Plaintiff
- Reller – verdict for Defendant
- Longdon – verdict for Defendant
- Allen – verdict for Defendant
- Eiser – verdict for Defendant
- Frankson – verdict for Plaintiff
- Thompson – verdict for Plaintiff
- Conley v RJR – verdict for Defendant
- Hyde v PM – verdict for Defendant
- Janoff v PM et al – verdict for Defendant
- Carter v PM – verdict for Defendant
- Hall v RJR – verdict for Defendant
- Welch v PM et al – verdict for Defendant
- Lucier v RJR – verdict for Defendant
- Routh v PM et al – verdict for Defendant
- Inzerilla v PM et al – verdict for Defendant
- Amodeo (Engle) – verdict for Plaintiff
- Della Vecchia (Engle) – verdict for Plaintiff
- Farnan (Engle) – verdict for Plaintiff
- Miles v Light Cigarette Fraud – filed
- 2004
- U.S. Department of Justice – finding for Plaintiff
- Arnitz – verdict for Plaintiff
- Blankenship (Medical Monitoring WV) – verdict for Defendant
- Mash – verdict for Defendant
- Scott v Tobacco – verdict for Defendant
- 5/21 Blankenship Medical Monitoring – mixed verdict for Plaintiff
- 2005
- Smith – verdict for Plaintiff
- Rose – verdict for Plaintiff
- 2006
- U.S. Department of Justice – judgment entered for Plaintiff
- 9/25 Schwab Lights – class certified
- 2007
- Whiteley II – verdict for Plaintiff
- Whiteley III – verdict for Plaintiff
- 2008
- 4/3 Schwab Lights – class decertified
- 7/23 Blankenship Medical Monitoring – appeal denied
- 2009
- Sherman (first Engle progeny)
- Bullock II – verdict for Plaintiff
- 2010
- Grill
- 5/28 Izzarelli – verdict for Plaintiff
- 2011
- St. Louis Hospitals – verdict for Defendant
- 2012
- Schwarz II – verdict for Plaintiff
- 2013
- 10/24 Evans v Lorillard – settled
- Delisle v Lorillard – verdict for Plaintiff
- 2014
- Engle progeny continue
- Miles v Light Cigarette Fraud still pending