Court upholds $37 MILLION payout to woman who thought Marlboro Lights were less ... trends now
Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court upheld a nearly $37million judgment for a woman who claimed she developed lung cancer after switching from Marlboro Red cigarettes to Marlboro Lights because she thought they were less dangerous.
The judicial body delivered a unanimous ruling on Tuesday that said Patricia Walsh Greene might have smoked less or quit sooner if she had not been convinced by Philip Morris' claim that Marlboro Lights were safer.
In its decision, the court wrote: 'Philip Morris represented that such products, including Marlboro Lights, delivered lower tar and nicotine and were a healthier alternative to regular cigarettes.'
However, Philip Morris never told its loyal consumers that internal research conducted by the company in the late 70s showed that the smoke from Marlboro Light cigarettes was actually more likely to cause the DNA damage that can ultimately lead to cancer.
Patricia Walsh Greene was awarded a $37million judgment from a Massachusetts court after suing Philip Morris in 2015 for the lung cancer and subsequent health problems she developed after switching from Marlboro Reds to Lights, thinking they were less harmful
Greene smoked her first Marlboro in 1971, when she was just 13, and would be unable to quit until 1995
Greene, who was born in the late 50's, grew up surrounded by sexy and aggressive advertising for cigarettes.
She smoked her first Marlboro in 1971, when she was 13 years old, according to the court. By high school, she was smoking a pack a day.
According to her attorneys, Greene attempted to quit on many occasions using several methods, including nicotine patches and hypnotism.
Between 1979 and 1980, Greene was able to quit smoking for a nine month period. When that pause ended, she resumed smoking, but switched to Marlboro Lights - from Reds - after seeing advertising assuring that they contained less tar and nicotine.
Until she quit for good in 1995,
