Home > Great American Court Cases > Cipollone v. Liggett Group

Legal Citation: 858 F2d 775 (1988)

Plaintiff
Estate of Rose Cipollone

Defendant
Liggett Group

Plaintiff's Claim
That the defendant, a cigarette company, was liable for Rose Cipollone's death from cancer because it failed to warn consumers about the dangers of smoking.

Chief Lawyers for Plaintiff
Alan Darnell, Marc Z. Edell, and Cynthia Walters

Chief Defense Lawyer
H. Bartow Farr III

Judge
H. Lee Sarokin

Place
Newark, New Jersey

Date of Decision
13 June 1988

Decision
Jury awarded plaintiff damages of $400,000; reversed on appeal, lawsuit later dropped.

Significance
Despite encouraging early victories, the lesson of the Cipollone case is that smokers face very burdensome legal difficulties in suing cigarette companies.

Rose Cipollone of...