Tobacco Documents Online

PM Statement 2077409566 <:, .

0 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Dolly Colby 317-639-4260 or 212-880-5000 Statement of Charles R. Wall Senior Vice President, Litigation Philip Morris . INDIANAPOLIS, August 23, 1996 -- This is our most important victory to date dealing with the purported "addictive" qualities of cigarettes because some members of the plaintiff's bar claimed it was an ideal case. This unanimous verdict sends a clear signal that there is no legal groundswell in the American court system to reverse 40 years of precedents that people are responsible for their own actions when it comes to tobacco use. Indeed, the entire jury took the extraordinary step of holding a post-verdict press conference in the courtroom to explain that their verdict was based on freedom of choice and personal responsibility. It also reaffirms that the recent verdict in the Carter case against American Tobacco was indeed an aberration. The plaintiff's attorneys spent nearly 10 years preparing for this case and twice they presented their evidence to a jury. Yet, when all was said and done, common sense prevailed, just as it should. Testimony in this case clearly showed that Richard Rogers willingly made the decision to smoke and completely understood the claimed risks that decision entailed. The jury agreed. The verdict also shows that the claimed risks of smoking have been known for decades and jurors inevitably will use their common sense in reaching a just and fair verdict. This verdict is a reaffirmation that people can stop smoking when they decide to do so, a decision that already has been made by more than 50 million Americans. And, this case is further proof that the courts should be used for meaningful litigation, not lawsuit lotteries. It's time for the "get-rich-quick" mentality of the plaintiffs' bar to end in America. --- 30 ---