R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., et al. v. Engle, et al.

Case Updates

NCLC urged the Supreme Court to review a Florida Supreme Court’s decision that retained broad findings of liability even though it decertified the class action that produced those findings. This tobacco class action began its travel through the appellate world with a $145 billion punitive damages verdict. The Florida Supreme Court correctly decertified the class because of the need for individualized proof but reinstated much of the judgment for any future lawsuit filed by any individual member of the class. In itsbrief, NCLC argued that the Florida Supreme Court’s so-called “pragmatic solution” departs sharply from traditional norms of fair adjudication, elevates expediency above due process, and places businesses in peril of being coerced into global settlements—even where they have no actual liability.