Smokeless Tobacco Class Action Case filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court
Russell Law Offices in conjunction with Hagen & Patterson, P.A., and Grover, Weinstein & Trop, P.A., filed a smokeless tobacco class action lawsuit today in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court on behalf of all Florida consumers who have been injured by the use of smokeless tobacco.
The smokeless tobacco lawsuit is thought to be the first consumer class action lawsuit filed against the smokeless tobacco industry. The smokeless tobacco industry is comprised of the manufacturers of chewing tobacco, moist snuff, loose leaf, and plug tobacco products. The lawsuit names United States Tobacco Company, Conwood Company, L.P., The Pinkerton Tobacco Company, Swisher International, Inc., Swedish Match North America, Inc., and Smokeless Tobacco Council, Inc., as Defendants.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages and injunctive relief on the theories of negligence, products liability, breach of express and implied warranties, fraud and misrepresentation, deceptive and unfair trade practices, civil conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, medical monitoring, and loss of consortium.
The named Plaintiffs in the lawsuit have been injured by oral and neck cancer, disfigurement, pre-cancerous lesions and sores, tooth loss, gum recession, and nicotine addiction. The use of smokeless tobacco products has been linked to cases of death from cancer, gross disfigurement from cancer, cancers of the lip, tongue, cheek, throat, gums, larynx, esophagus, and stomach, as well as leukoplakia, gum loss, tooth loss, gum recession, pre-cancerous lesions, mouth sores, and nicotine addiction.
Plaintiffs hope to prevail in this case on the basis that the smokeless tobacco products manufactured by Defendants are defective, poisonous and inherently dangerous, and these products have been manipulated in such a way to intentionally addict the consuming public. A copy of the complaint and its allegations can be found under Vassallo v. United States Tobacco Company, et. al., Miami-Dade Circuit Court Case 02-28397 CA-20.
If you feel that you have been injured as a result of the use of smokeless tobacco products and you would like to participate in this case, please feel free tocontact us.
