Timeline

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
  • Third-party Asbestos Litigation
• 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
• 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