The Minnesota Court of Appeals has revived a class action lawsuit against the Philip Morris tobacco company by smokers of its Marlboro Light cigarettes. The plaintiff class argued the company used fraud and misrepresentation to convince consumers that the light or low-tar cigarettes were less dangerous than standard varieties. Lommen Abdo’s Kay Nord Hunt, who represents the plaintiff class, asserts that Philip Morris committed consumer fraud because it misled Minnesota consumers and that Philip Morris should have to provide restitution to those purchasers under Minnesota consumer fraud statutes. An attorney with the Tobacco Products Liability Project of the Public Health Advocacy Institute at the Northeastern University School of Law in Boston described the decision as a “resounding victory” for plaintiffs.
Read more about the decision at :
- Minnesota Court of Appeals Decision;
- St. Paul Pioneer Press: Minnesota court revives suit against Philip Morris;
- Minneapolis Star Tribune: Court revives low-tar cigarette case: Minnesota judges rule in favor of consumers who believed ads that pitched Marlboro Lights as healthier than other cigarettes;
- Minnesota Public Radio: Big tobacco case reinstated in Minnesota.
