Avera & Smith Helps Secure $6 Million in Compensatory and Punitive Damages in Tobacco Case Verdict Against R.J. Reynolds

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Nov. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Avera & Smith law firm, in partnership with The Wilner Firm in Jacksonville, has secured a verdict totaling $6 million against R.J. Reynolds tobacco company on behalf of Plaintiff Kathleen Wydra. A Duval County jury in Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit handed down the verdict for $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages.

"Many Engle case victims do not live to see case verdicts such as this one, so it's gratifying that in this instance Mrs. Wydra is indeed here to experience justice served," said Rod Smith, Partner, Avera & Smith. "It's also heartening to see cases starting to move forward again in the wake of Covid restrictions, providing opportunities for justice for other plaintiffs."

Born in 1947, Kathleen Wydra became a regular smoker while in high school in the early 1960's and smoked up to two packs of cigarettes per day. She quit smoking in 1998, following a diagnosis of COPD in the mid-1990s. Mrs. Wydra tried many times to quit using nicotine patches, nicotine gum and hypnosis. She was finally successful using Zyban, a prescription medication, in 1998. Mrs. Wydra, married with two adult sons, is very pleased with the outcome.

In 2006, the Florida Supreme Court decertified a very large class action suit that was filed by Howard Engle in 1994. The 2006 ruling led to class members filing thousands of individual lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers, as it allowed nicotine-addicted Florida residents or their families to sue tobacco companies for cigarette-related injuries that manifested between 1990 and 1996.

The Wydra case was tried by Avera & Smith Partners Rod Smith and Dawn Vallejos-Nichols, and Partners Jay Plotkin and Richard Lantinberg of Jacksonville-based The Wilner Firm. Both firms have extensive experience with tobacco cases and successful outcomes in a wide range of other plaintiffs' cases.

Avera & Smith has represented Floridians for more than 65 years with a legacy of personal service and genuine care for clients and the local community. Visit www.avera.com for more information.

SOURCE Avera & Smith

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