SEATTLE -- R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. said it is pleased with the verdict handed down by a jury in Seattle in the individual smoking and health lawsuit, Kimball v. R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
Phillip Kimball filed the lawsuit as the estate administrator of his late wife, Carla Kimball, who died in 2001, 11 years after she had quit smoking.
We applaud the jury's unanimous verdict, said Jeff Raborn, senior counsel for R.J. Reynolds, Winston-Salem, N.C. The jury evaluated the evidence, applied common sense, and made the correct decision [image-nocss] after just ninety minutes of deliberations.
Phillip Kimball asked the jury to award more than $10 million in damages, claiming his wife developed lung cancer and died as a result of smoking Winston and Winston Lights 100s cigarettes manufactured by R.J. Reynolds.
The plaintiff was well aware of the risks of smoking, Raborn said. In fact, the jury found that Mrs. Kimball was aware of the risks of smoking, and she knowingly assumed those risks. We obviously agree with this decision.
The case was tried in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle.
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. is an indirect subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc. The company's brands include Camel, Kool, Winston, Salem Pall Mall and Doral.
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