MIAMI -- A South Florida jury on Thursday ordered Philip Morris USA to pay $300 million to a former smoker, agreeing that the tobacco company's negligence was the cause of her emphysema.
The award for Cindy Naugle, 61, is the largest to date among thousands of lawsuits filed in the state against tobacco companies.
"Cindy admitted her fault to the jury," her attorney, Robert Kelley, said in a statement. "But Philip Morris refused to accept any responsibility for her emphysema, even though she was an addicted customer for 25 years."
The award amounts to $56 million in compensatory and $244 million in punitive damages against Philip Morris. The company said it will seek further review of the verdict by the Broward County jury.
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