Fla. jury finds for dead smoker’s widow, puts blame partly on Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds

Fla. jury awards $30 million in smoker’s death

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Florida jury has awarded $20 million in punitive damages to the widow of a longtime smoker who died of lung cancer.

Robin Cohen’s attorney, Adam Trop, says the six-person jury in Fort Lauderdale found that Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds each shared a third of the responsibility for Nathan Cohen’s 1994 death at age 68. The jury found Wednesday that Cohen shared a third of the responsibility.

The panel also awarded Cohen $10 million in compensatory damages. The payment for that will be divided among the three responsible parties.

If the verdict is upheld, Trop says Cohen will receive $26.6 million from Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds. Philip Morris said it will seek a review and a message left for R.J. Reynolds was not immediately returned.