Philip Morris USA Says California Court Denied Damages, Injunctive Relief in Lights Case

A California Superior Court judge today issued his final decision in favor of Philip Morris USA's

in a 16-year-old class-action “Lights” cigarette case (Brown). The court rejected plaintiffs' efforts to impose as much as a billion dollars in liability against PM USA and ruled that plaintiffs are not entitled to any relief. “The plaintiffs failed to prove they suffered any loss by purchasing ‘Lights' cigarettes,” said Murray Garnick, Altria Client Services senior vice president and associate general counsel, speaking on behalf of PM USA. “In fact, the court concluded that Marlboro Lights were worth what consumers paid for them,” Garnick added. “We have had substantial success in defending these cases on a variety of legal grounds.”