Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Continued)

Note 18.
Contingencies:

(Continued)

Recent Trial Results: Since January 1999, verdicts have been returned in 36 smoking and health, Lights/Ultra Lights and health care cost recovery cases in which PM USA was a defendant. Verdicts in favor of PM USA and other defendants were returned in 23 of the 36 cases. These 23 cases were tried in California (2), Florida (7), Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire,New Jersey, New York (3), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee (2) and West Virginia. Plaintiffs’ appeals or post-trial motions challenging the verdicts are pending in California, Florida, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. A motion for a new trial has been granted in one of the cases in Florida. In addition, in December 2002, a court dismissed an individual smoking and health case in California at the end of trial.

The chart below lists the verdicts and post-trial developments in the 13 pending cases that have gone to trial since January 1999 in which verdicts were returned in favor of plaintiffs.

View Chart

In addition to the cases discussed above, in October 2003, an appellate court in Brazil reversed a lower court’s dismissal of an individual smoking and health case and ordered PMI’s Brazilian affiliate to pay plaintiff approximately $256,000 and other unspecified damages. PMI’s Brazilian affiliate intends to appeal.

With respect to certain adverse verdicts currently on appeal, excluding amounts relating to the Engle and Price cases, as of December 31, 2003, PM USA has posted various forms of security totaling $367 million, the majority of which have been collateralized with cash deposits, to obtain stays of judgments pending appeals. The cash deposits are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets.