Avera & Smith Secures Punitive Damages of $13.5 Million in Tobacco Case Verdict Against R.J. Reynolds

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Feb. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- An Alachua County jury in Florida's 8^th Judicial Circuit has returned a $13.5 million punitive damages verdict against R.J. Reynolds tobacco company on behalf of the family of Tyrone Dixon, who contracted laryngeal cancer and passed away in 1994 at age 38 as a result of his addiction to cigarettes containing nicotine. Mr. Dixon started to smoke at age 11 or 12 while growing up in Milton, Florida, and continued to smoke despite trying unsuccessfully to quit several times, until shortly before his death.

The $13.5 million award is provided to Mr. Dixon's widow and two children as part of Mrs. Dixon's claim as an Engle progeny case, which stems from Florida's Engle class action, which allows nicotine-addicted Florida residents or their families to sue tobacco companies for cases diagnosed between 1990 and 1996.

The case was tried by Avera & Smith with support from Josh Whitman and Eric Leach of the Jacksonville-based law firm Milton, Leach, Whitman, D'Andrea & Eslinger. Avera & Smith Partners Rod Smith and Dawn Vallejos-Nichols handled the case for Avera & Smith. The firm has extensive experience with tobacco cases and successful outcomes in a wide range of other plaintiffs' cases.

In 2018, during the first phase of the case, a jury awarded $2 million in compensatory damages against R.J. Reynolds for the Dixon family. Partner Mark Avera assisted with this portion of the trial.

Avera & Smith has represented Floridians for more than 60 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

Related Links

http://www.avera.com

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