Widow of chain-smoker awarded $8 million

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29274837/

Proper award?
-OR-
No one put a gun to his head & told him to start smoking.

Voting is anoimo.... anonimu....anan....private.

 

it is only a proper award if i am some how related and get a few million.

 

I used to smoke for 20 years. Nobody made me. It was an addiction that I had to break myself. Nobody was to blame, it wasn't the advertisements that made me smoke, it was the fact that I liked the smell and the taste. I stopped 13 years ago cold turkey ... so yes I am old as mold.

I totally disagree with punitive awards against cigarette manufacturers. They are business people, they run a business. Next there will be lawsuits against companies that produce alcohol.

I am totally on the other side. People should make their own choices and stand by them. That includes the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and yes, pot. All of these should be legally sold and used, and we all should reap the benefits in form of taxes. And no, manufacturing these items is not something that can be punished in a court of law.

It drives me nuts. What's next? Someone sues McDonalds because they are overweight?

Marianne

 

YES! Finally! Marianne has given me the keys to retirement!!!!!

 

From the article: "The jury did find that Stuart Hess was 58 percent responsible for the cigarette addiction that led to his death."

How in the world can something like that be quantified?

 

DIdn't someone already try to sue McD's for being overweight in NY?

 

Yes - several years ago a mother tried to sue McD's because her daughter was overweight from eating there....HUH???? Can't remember tho what the outcome was. It's ridiculous tho.

 

It is usually come by when the jury takes the entire amount of the award and draws a ratio that is very subjective (and often very emotional) and makes everyone on the jury happy. Then they determine the percentage. This is how they can come up with odd and unrealistically values like 58%.

The jury does not first decide on the number 58% and then determine the award... At least that is how it was explained to us in our Business Law classes a million years ago.

I am glad they the juries are applying the majority of the blame on the smoker. That does not excuse the deceptive advertising practices of the 20's-50's

Here is a bit of distrubing smoking trivia: Did you know that back in the 1920's and even into the 1930's doctors prescribed Asthma Cigarettes that you were supposed to smoke during Asthma attacks? Seems kinda weird today but back then it was an acceptable practice to use Datura stramonium in treatments.