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An Oregon lawsuit against Philip Morris USA states that the tobacco manufacturer knowingly misled consumers into thinking that its Marlboro Lights brand of cigarettes contained less amounts of nicotine and tar than full-strength cigarettes.
Marilyn Pearson and Laura Grandin both filed the suit, seeking to turn it into a class-action status lawsuit. Oregon Judge Janice Wilson of the Circuit Court for the County of Multnomah denied the suit class-action status, however. The Judge ruled that there would be too many individuals who could potentially join the suit and too many individual cases to consider.
Judge Wilson ruled that because different individuals appear to get different levels of nicotine and tar that each case would have to be considered, which would be impossible. Each member of the suit would have to prove that.
Other similar lawsuits have been filed around the country, though only a very few have been granted class-action status.
There has been only one verdict in a “lights” case so far. In that case, the Illinois Supreme Court awarded a $10.1 billion verdict against Philip Morris.
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