Lorillard Owes $35 Million Damages

A lawsuit alleged that Lorillard Tobacco Company regularly sent vans to Boston housing projects during the late 1960s and distributed free Newport cigarettes to children. Evidence showed that a girl named Marie Evans began smoking at age 9 after receiving free Newports near a playground in a majority-Black neighborhood, and she later died from lung cancer. A jury held Lorillard liable, and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld $35 million in damages while ordering a new trial on a separate $81 million punitive award.

Previous Fact Next Fact