St. Louis Trial Could Slam Tobacco World

Source from:  upi.com ST. LOUIS, Sept. 15 (UPI) 09/16/2008

The U.S. tobacco industry could be significantly uprooted by a long-delayed lawsuit in St. Louis District Court, an attorney says. Edward L. Sweda, senior attorney for the Tobacco Product Liability Project at Northeastern University in Boston, said when the suit against American Tobacco actually begins, it could potentially create major repercussions for the industry nationwide, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Monday. "It certainly has great potential to have an impact on tobacco litigation," Sweda said. The trial has been delayed for nearly a decade but attorneys hope to begin jury selection in 15 months. Missouri hospitals allege they should be reimbursed by cigarette manufacturers for unpaid medical care given to patients whose health allegedly deteriorated due to cigarette use. The initial ligation request from the medical group was for $8 billion, but a 1993 ruling cut potential damages to nearly $1 billion. Tobacco companies have countered the hospitals' claim by saying the hospitals were not the ones directly damaged by the cigarette use, so, therefore, they should not be able to collect related damages, the Post-Dispatch said. Enditem