government
Minnesota high court to consider tobacco lawsuit
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 11, 2011
The Minnesota Supreme Court will review a lower court's decision reinstating a 10-year-old lawsuit against tobacco company giant Philip Morris.
The lawsuit originally was filed in 2001 by a group of consumers who claimed Philip Morris engaged in deceptive marketing when it advertised its low-tar cigarettes as safer than regular cigarettes. A trial judge dismissed the case in 2009, ruling the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue because they could not prove their cause of action benefited the public.
In December 2010, the Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed that decision, saying the suit was valid under the state's consumer-protection laws and could move forward. Philip Morris appealed to the state's Supreme Court.
In March, the high court agreed to examine the case. At this article's deadline, the court had not set a date for oral arguments.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/04/11/gvbf0411.htm.
