Tobacco companies are very well funded and have access to almost limitless resources to fight your claims. You need an experienced firm that has the resources to fight for you. Here are some tips to choose a tobacco lawsuit attorney:
Trial Lawyer of the Year Award
In his career, Mr. Ciresi has won multiple awards, including a Trial Lawyer of the Year Award. He co-led a landmark lawsuit against the tobacco industry. This case lasted for four years, encompassing the discovery of 30 million internal documents, litigation over crime-fraud privilege, and two appeals to the United States Supreme Court. It culminated in a settlement on May 8, 1998, that included injunctive relief against the tobacco industry. Among the lawyers he co-led, Mr. Ciresi received the award from Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.
Tom Conway has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Trial Lawyer of the Year Award. He was the past president of the Kansas City Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association awarded him the Thomas J. Conway Award, recognizing his courage, zeal, and collegiality among attorneys. In addition, he received the Lon O. Hocker Award, given to outstanding trial attorneys, in 2003. Tom Conway has also been named Missouri Super Lawyer since 2006 and has been recognized by the Chicago Bar Association as a “Best of the Bar” attorney more than fifteen times.
Exorbitant fees
As a former tobacco litigation attorney, I am deeply troubled by the exorbitant fees that some tobacco lawsuit attorneys charge their clients. It seems that the only people benefiting from tobacco lawsuit attorneys are the tobacco companies. But why would they do this? The tobacco companies are paying their legal teams a staggering $3.3 billion, with their clients getting a mere 2.3 billion in compensation. In the state of Texas, for example, cigarette companies have contributed $18 million to political campaigns in the last decade.
Tobacco companies have settled with the states for over $206 billion, settling with plaintiffs’ lawyers for an estimated $1.3 trillion. These settlements freed up the tobacco industry from the claim that they had to pay the states for treating sick smokers. They also agreed to end outdoor advertising, fund youth anti-smoking campaigns, and reduce industry lobbying. The companies agreed to pay the settlement based on a complicated formula involving projected tobacco sales over the next 25 years.
Lack of resources
Tobacco lawsuits are extremely difficult to win and the upside risks are high, but the rewards are low. In the United Kingdom, smokers are unlikely to receive large punitive damages, as in the US they may only receive PS100000 ($160.000). Furthermore, litigation can take years, wasting the resources of even the most wealthy plaintiffs’ attorneys. Thus, it is important to consider the upside before engaging in litigation.
As a result, many plaintiffs’ attorneys have turned to other forms of litigation. This wave of lawsuits began with claims brought against tobacco companies for reducing the tar in cigarettes. In the United States, this type of litigation has been based on claims of fraud and the health benefits of “light” cigarettes. Other states have also brought tobacco lawsuits based on ETS and the marketing of “light” cigarettes. There are currently more than two million pending cases involving tobacco companies.
Lack of experience
Tobacco litigation is a complex area of law. Tobacco companies have unlimited resources to fight lawsuits. You need a firm with the resources and experience to fight back and win. Many attorneys do not have the experience required to successfully litigate tobacco cases. In the United States, there are many wealthy personal injury attorneys devoted to the cause, but not in the United Kingdom. Despite the large sums of money, not all firms are equal.
Tobacco litigation is heavily reliant on class action lawsuits. In a recent Florida case, three plaintiffs filed a class action on behalf of a group of people suffering from similar smoking-related illnesses. These cases have succeeded in holding tobacco manufacturers responsible for wrongful death, injuries, and medical costs. Tobacco companies have long known the dangers of smoking. The Florida Supreme Court found in 2006 that smoking is linked to cancer.