Florida jury awards widow $23.6 billion in suit against tobacco company

Someone born in 1960 started smoking in 1973, died in 1996, and his widow filed suit in 2008. No other discussion on the particulars of the case. Given the patent absurdity that this article presents, it really just ends up seeing more a hatchet job against an easy target, "big tobacco".

And how could anyone be damaged to the tune of billions for anything short of destroying entire industries?

Holy crap. I can't believe I'm siding with tobacco companies, but that's absolutely absurd. First of all, it's been pretty common knowledge that smoking tobacco is unhealthy and addictive since the 60's. No one then or now who is smoking was doing so with ignorance. Secondly, there have been far more egregious instances of wrongful death (companies who didn't tell workers about dangerous chemicals they were exposed to, releasing toxic chemicals into the environment causing birth defects, etc); awarding 26 billion dollars to someone, which would put them in the top 25 richest people in the world, for a death nearly 20 years ago... I just can't see the justification. (Meanwhile, Ethan Couch kills four people drunk driving and goes to summer camp)

"If anyone saw the documents that this jury saw, I believe that person would have awarded a similar or greater verdict amount," he said.

$23.6 billion is a lot. It would take many lifetimes for him to make that much money or even just have a similar affect on the world around him as that much money, so those would have to be some pretty damning documents to award that.

Though I'd be surprised if anywhere near that amount actually gets awarded.

Can any lawyers comment on the likelihood of this amount holding up in an appeal?

If we don't have tort reform, how can we ever have legalized MJ or other harder drugs without lawsuits like this?