Fundamentals of Tobacco Litigation

How a Lawsuit Gets to Trial 
This material is designed to provide a basic introduction to the litigation process and to explain some of the “legalese” you might hear or see.  While the specific procedures can vary from state to state, most civil lawsuits can be divided into six different stages at the trial level.

History of Tobacco Litigation
Tobacco litigation is not new.  In fact, Philip Morris USA has been involved in litigation for 50 years.  The easiest way to understand the history of tobacco litigation is to break it up into different time periods:

• 1954 to 1978: The first smoking and health case was filed in 1954.
• 1979 to 1993: The late 1970s signaled a change in the way that plaintiffs' lawyers approached tobacco cases.
• 1994 to 1998: A third "wave" of litigation was prompted by the development of a variety of external factors.
• 1999 to Present: Types of pending lawsuits fall into three major categories: individual, state-wide classes, and health-care cost recovery actions.

Specific Types of Litigation
This material provides basic information about the specific types of litigation cases.