CASE RESULTS DEPEND UPON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE. CASE RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASE.
Kalyvas v. Philip Morris USA, Defense Verdict
Surviving spouse of smoker sought damages as a potential member of Engle de-certified class of smokers in Hillsborough County, Florida. Plaintiff, through her attorney, Howard Acosta, sought $30 million dollars in compensatory damages and additional punitive damages for the death from lung cancer of Spyros Kalyvas. After a three-week trial and 6 hours of deliberation, the jury returned a defense verdict finding that the plaintiff had not proven that addiction to Philip Morris cigarettes was a legal cause of decedent’s death.