Reynolds not liable

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. was cleared of liability in an Engle progeny case filed by the family of deceased smoker Terry Carrico, according to the Courtroom View Network.
The suit claimed that the company concealed the health risks of smoking, causing nicotine addiction and ultimately his death from lung cancer at age 49. Carrico began smoking when he was 11 and was a regular smoker by the time he was a teen, continuing with two-to-three packs of cigarettes a day for more than 30 years.
The Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida said although nicotine addiction caused his lung cancer, he bore 100 percent of responsibility for his illness.
The defense argued that Carrico knew the health risks of smoking, chose to smoke, and was not interested in quitting in time to avoid his lung cancer.
The plaintiffs had asked for $12 million in compensatory damages and a finding that punitive damages were potentially warranted.