Cindy Naugle is the name of the smoker who won the landmark Philip Morris $300 million verdict from a jury in Florida. The huge judgment was awarded in Broward Country, once home to the hanging chads of the 2000 presidential election.
Now they are known for something else, which is outrageous judgments against tobacco companies because people decide to smoke cigarettes. In the case Naugle v. Philip Morris USA, Cindy Naugle was given $56 million for past and potential future medical costs, and a ludicrous judgment of $244 million for punitive damages against Philip Morris, for a total verdict of $300 million dollars.
Is should be obvious to anyone that obscene judgments like this are bad for our economy. When trial lawyers are able to get such judgments from juries for obscure citizens, it drives the cost of conducting business in American up.
The $300 million verdict is not really related to the current health-care bill in Washington but it illustrative of the problem. Doctors pay through the nose for medical liability insurance because preposterous monetary verdicts are routinely awarded by judges and juries alike.
Unfortunately the current Democrat proposal in the U.S. Congress does nothing to curb the terrible cost of insurance in the United States. Obama himself seems unaware or uninterested in fixing the real problem.
Judgments against tobacco companies like Philip Morris are particularly crazy because everyone knows that smoking is dangerous. Cindy Naugle is only a 61 year old woman which means she started smoking after warning labels were placed on cigarettes and the federal government began investing million and million of dollars in public educations suggesting that people quit smoking.
Yes cigarette companies glamorize smoking but you can say the same for alcohol companies. There is nothing wrong with usual attractive pictures to sell a product, such as the photo above which incidentally is not Cindy Naugle.
The poor woman has emphysema which is a terrible disease and one must feel sorry for her plight. But she like all smokers also has an obligation to accept the consequences of poor decisions to smoke.
The guy in the video below has it right. The award teaches people not to be responsible for their own actions. Agree or disagree, tell us your own thoughts on the whopping Philip Morris $300 million verdict by a single smoker in Florida.
(Video)
November 28th, 2009 at 7:20 am
If someone wants to destroy their life by not being healthy, why should it be someone elses fault.
The American system is the worst in the world.
This proves it.
It is our government who should be sued for a lack of intelligence.
Our tax payers money should be directed to the needy.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:07 am
I totally agree it is amazing to me. Just like with the bailout money.Make bad decisions and let the goverment fix the problem because,I was foolish with my business practices.
I have a small business where i run semis because the fuel has went up and insurance has went up does this mean i can recoup my losses and sue them i think not. Or have the federal goverment bail me out, I think not. You dig deep and start think out of the box.
Alot of Americans have lost their pride,its always someone else fault for the state that they are in. Till everyone starts taking responiblity for their own actions we will keep sliding down that slippery slope. thanks for letting me vent
November 28th, 2009 at 8:15 am
This country does not believe in personal responsibility anymore. Look at all the different products we buy with ridiculous warning labels. Someone made a lot of money so they put a warning on, but someone else will come along and do the same thing, despite the warning, and win the case.
Greedy ignorant people, greedy immoral lawyers, greedy corrupt government.
Current U.S. Gov’t = Epic Fail
November 28th, 2009 at 8:53 am
I agree with the verdict. Alcohol was used as the example in this article. Alcohol is perfectly safe for 95% of the population when not consumed in excess. In fact, it can even be healthy. There is nothing safe about cigarettes. They have created a product that is not only extremely unhealthy but exceptionally addictive as well. It ranks with coke and heroine. I know I’m not losing sleep over this verdict. I think if you are going to continue to make a product that kills 440,000 people each year, expect to find yourself on the losing side in a court room.
In addition, in this womans case, I’m assuming she started smoking when she was young. I know of no one personally that starts smoking when they are over 18. Even though there may have been warning labels on the smokes during her time, they were still marketed to kids. The tobacco company knew the only way for them to survive was to have children smoking. You still feel sorry for that poor little company? The company that makes BILLIONS by killing BILLIONS? please. This award is a drop in the bucket compared to their profits. It’s just another cost of doing business. Just like the dead bodies they step over everyday.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:06 am
Endless smokers who have tried
Millions of smokers who have failed and died
Smokers who have gotten ill
Smokers who have million dollar medical bills.
Men and women who need to have a say
In respect to what damages tobacco companies should pay
Back at home each family waits
For big tobacco while they procrastinate
To decide the smokers fate
This is why there is so much anger and so much hate.
The existing law says smokers will have their day
That is not what Florida government has to say
What about the class action suit?
Florida government wants to call it mute.
Florida government is supposed to be the peoples friend
But now are sticking up for big tobacco
Because they say this will be tobacco’s end.
What about the individual?
What should he or she do
While both tobacco and government deal the people an outrageous and horrendous meal.
This could be the smokers last
While Florida government has gotten a financial blast
Look out far and look out wide
Because government and big tobacco
You will never be able to hide, fully knowing
Millions that have smoked, choked and than DIED.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:55 am
people are just weak and stupid sometimes.
November 28th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I have two points:
1-Americans tend to view government as our mommy and daddy. Take care of me daddy/mommy.
2-Maybe we should encourage smoking so that people die off sooner. This should ease some of our Social Security problems and maybe health care problems if we cut off medical care at some point for smokers when it is obvious that they are going to die.
November 28th, 2009 at 11:03 am
the government should pay the claim as they
subsidize the tobacco farmer…
they also reap billions in excessive taxes imposed on cig’s aimed at the smoker…
the fine imposed by the government on the cig industry years ago went to local government and what did they use the money for??? self betterment and projects, not to help the hospitals or other agencies which are forced to absorb the cost of caring for smokers health problems who can’t afford the cost…
November 28th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
why are they valuing the lifetime health of this one person over 300$ million dollars? what makes them this calculable? how do they even arrive at the hypothesis? and why does the judge even allow it as it so obviously makes a mockery of the court. I imagine the attorneys will get 100 million of it, for simply presenting a case?
November 28th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
The award is excessive..BUT, I think tobacco companies should be held accountable. I started smoking long before warning labels were issued and was hooked at an early age. Had I known then what I know now, I never would have had the first cigarette. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for those that started smoking after being told of the consequences.I think cigarettes are the most addictive thing out there, along with alcohol.
I’ve seen too many deaths from lung cancer and drunk driving to give a rats behind for the companies promoting either product.