R.J. Reynolds wins affirmance of defense verdict in Engle progeny lawsuit

Client(s) R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Jones Day represented R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in an Engle progeny wrongful-death action brought by the estate of deceased smoker Eugene Delancy. A jury returned a defense verdict based on its finding that Mr. Delancy was not a member of the class of decertified by the Florida Supreme Court in Engle v. Liggett Group, Inc., 945 So. 2d 1246 (Fla. 2006).

On appeal, the plaintiff argued that the trial court erred in dismissing a juror for bias during the trial. Jones Day persuaded the Fourth District Court of Appeals to affirm, preserving the complete defense verdict.

Helen Delancy, Personal Representative of the Estate of Eugene Delancy. v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., et al., No. 2008-CA-000067 (Fla. 19th Cir.); Delancy v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., No. 4D19-3724 (Fla. 4th DCA)