Landmark Verdict Upheld in Chiquita Colombia Killings Case (1)

A first-of-its-kind jury verdict requiring Chiquita Brands International Inc. to pay $38.3 million to the families of Colombians murdered by a company-supported paramilitary group has been upheld by a federal court, priming the massive litigation for further payouts.

The thorny issues of applying Colombian law in a US case left open the question of whether the courts should reduce payments to the plaintiffs whose families were murdered by Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia more than two decades ago.

The court rejected the arguments from Chiquita’s experts that Colombian law limits damages for claims like pain and suffering and loss of consortium ...