Philip Morris Gets Do-Over As Court Tosses $7 Million Verdict

Philip Morris USA Inc. isn’t on the hook for a $7 million award to a widower and will get a new trial, a Florida appeals court ruled.

The company shouldn’t have had to face a jury on Michael Gentile’s fraud-based claims in his suit alleging “light” cigarettes caused his wife’s lung cancer, the Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District, said.

The jury didn’t indicate what portion of the award was for the negligence and strict liability claims in the case, so a new trial on those claims is needed, the court said.

The case isn’t part of the giant ...