R.J. Reynolds wins complete defense verdict in Anderson wrongful death lawsuit

Client(s) R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

On October 25, 2022, following two weeks of trial, a jury in state court in Gadsden County, Florida returned a complete defense verdict in favor of Jones Day client, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, in a wrongful death case.

The plaintiff, Sarah Anderson, individually and as personal representative of the estate of Hosey Anderson, claimed that her late father was a member of the class decertified by the Florida Supreme Court in Engle v. Liggett Group, Inc., 945 So. 2d 1246 (Fla. 2006). She asserted claims for strict liability, negligence, fraudulent concealment, and conspiracy, requesting $10 million in compensatory damages plus punitive damages. After just over an hour of deliberations, the jury rejected plaintiff’s claims and found the smoker was not a member of the Engle class.

Anderson v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, et al., No. 2020-CA-000757 (2nd Cir. Ct. Fla.)