Certification Of Class Action Against Tobacco Companies Hits Newspapers

Sep 26, 2006 | By: Michael J. Hassen

New York Federal Court Order Certifying Class Action Against Tobacco Companies for Misleading Smokers into Believing that “Light” Cigarettes were Less Harmful Becomes Hot Topic of Discussion

We reported yesterday on the order by United States District Court Judge Jack Weinstein of the Eastern District of New York that certified a massive class action against numerous tobacco companies based on the allegation that the companies intentionally mislead smokers into believing that “light” cigarettes were less harmful than regular cigarettes. As expected, that decision is headline news. While there are undoubtedly countless competent articles on the subject, we believe a few deserve to be singled out. For those interested in reading news articles on the subject rather than the 540-page court opinion, we recommend the following reports.

An article by Wall Street Journal reporter Vanessa O’Connell, entitled, “Tobacco Firms Exposed To New $200 Billion Claim,” which may be found on page A3 of the September 26, 2006 edition of the Wall Street Journal.

An article by New York Times reporters David Cay Johnston and Melanie Warner, entitled “Tobacco Makers Lose Key Ruling on Latest Suits,” which may be found in Section A of the September 26, 2006 edition of the New York Times, as well as the September 26, 2006 online edition of the New York Times at nytimes.com. The link is .

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