Tobacco Lawyers in Jacksonville

Tobacco and Cigarette Lawsuits

We at Farah and Farah are committing our resources to prosecuting Jacksonville tobacco lawsuits for Florida residents who were victimized by decades of deception and lies about the dangers of cigarette smoking.

If you are interested in speaking with our tobacco lawyers in Jacksonville, contact Farah and Farah today. We are already representing hundreds of victims and their families and are prepared to provide up-to-date information on tobacco-related issues.

Holding Tobacco Companies Accountable

In the 1990's, a Dade County jury rendered a multi-billion dollar verdict against Big Tobacco, based on findings that cigarettes were addictive; defective; cancer-causing and that for years tobacco companies deliberately hid the truth about how addictive and harmful smoking was.

The Florida Supreme Court recently overturned the verdict in part. In its decision, the Court disbanded the Class and held that victims must file their own individual claims. The good news; however, was that it also affirmed the trial jury's liability findings and held that it would be unnecessary to prove those issues in subsequent individual trials.

As a result of the Supreme Court decision, hundreds of thousands of Florida citizens have valuable legal rights that they are probably not aware of. Further, the Supreme Court ruled that individual cases must be filed within one year of the Court's mandate. Most of the victims began smoking well before the surgeon general's warning regarding smoking. Many started smoking when cigarette manufacturers gave cigarettes away - knowing that they were "hooking" kids who would be life-time customers. During this era, tobacco actually touted cigarettes as having health benefits; while at the same time, tobacco company chemists were working feverishly to develop new ways to make nicotine more and more addictive.

Based upon this recent Supreme Court decision, anyone who lived in Florida, smoked and first became ill from a smoking-related illness between 1990 and 1996 may be part of a "class" with valuable legal rights that demand prompt action. For further information about class action cigarette lawsuits in Florida, contact our Jacksonville office today.

Tobacco Lawsuit FAQs

For victims looking to file tobacco and cigarette lawsuits in Florida, the Jacksonville personal injury lawyers of Farah and Farah, based in Jacksonville, are here to help. View the frequently asked questions below to learn more about the current status of tobacco litigation in Florida. If you have further questions, please contact our firm to review your case with one of our experienced tobacco lawyers.

What liability findings are established as res judicata (this is a legal term that means these issues have already been decided) by the Engle decision?

The liability findings established by the Engle decision are as follows

1. The tobacco companies were negligent
2. Their products are defective and unreasonably dangerous
3. Cigarettes are addictive
4. Cigarette companies conspired to conceal health and addiction information with the intention of consumer reliance on the misinformation.
5. Cigarette companies are liable for breach of express warranty.

What general medical causation findings are established as res judicata (issues that do not need to be retried) by the Engle decision?

The Engle decision established that the following diseases are caused by smoking:

1. Aortic aneurysm
2. Bladder cancer
3. Cerebrovascular disease
4. Cervical Cancer
5. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
6. Coronary heart disease
7. Esophageal cancer
8. Kidney cancer
9. Laryngeal cancer
10. Lung cancer (specifically adenocarinoma, large cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma)
11. Complications of pregnancy
12. Oral cavity/tongue cancer
13. Pancreatic cancer
14. Peripheral vascular disease
15. Pharyngeal cancer
16. Stomach cancer

What is the class definition for class members covered by the Engle decision?

The class definition covers all Florida citizens and residents, and their survivors, who have suffered, presently suffer or who have died from diseases and medical conditions caused by their addiction to cigarettes that contain nicotine. The diseases and medical conditions must have first manifested themselves by the class cut-off date of November 21, 1996.

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The Jacksonville tobacco lawyers of Farah and Farah are already handling hundreds of cigarette lawsuits in Jacksonville and locations throughout Florida. We are prepared to provide up-to-date information on these issues. Please contact Farah and Farah at 1.800.533.3555.

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