Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_04-cv-01221/USCOURTS-cand-4_04-cv-01221-36/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 365
Nature of Suit: Personal Injury - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal- Product Liability

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

NIKKI POOSHS,

Plaintiff,

v.

PHILIP MORRIS USA, INC., et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 04-cv-1221-PJH 

ORDER

In accordance with the discussion at the January 11, 2016 hearing, the court 

hereby ORDERS as follows.

A. Jury Instructions (Doc. 424-1)

1. The court will not give an additional instruction to supplement the two 

“failure to warn” instructions – No. 23 (strict liability failure to warn) and No. 24 (negligent 

failure to warn).

2. The parties will meet and confer and advise the court whether they 

wish the court to give the jury, at the beginning of the trial, (a) only the introductory 

instructions, (b) the introductory instructions plus Nos. 23, 24, 27 (the “core” instructions), 

(c) the introductory instructions, the “core” instructions, and additional explanatory 

instructions re causation, substantial factor, and reliance (Nos. 22, 25, 26, 28, 29), or (d) 

all the instructions.

3. The court will give the concealment instruction (No. 27) as written, 

unless plaintiff puts on evidence of only a single fact that defendants concealed.

4. Instruction No. 30 (express preemption) will be revised to substitute 

Case 4:04-cv-01221-PJH Document 453 Filed 01/12/16 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

the phrase “Pursuant to the Labeling Act enacted by Congress, effective July 1, 1969,” in 

place of the phrase “Pursuant to the Surgeon General’s directive . . . .” 

5. Instruction No. 42 (punitive damages) will be revised to substitute the 

phrase “malice and oppression” in place of the phrase “malice, fraud, and oppression; 

and to substitute “Nikki Pooshs” in place of “Ms. Pooshs.”

6. The parties shall re-submit the jury instructions to include the 

revisions set forth above.

B. Verdict Form (Doc. 428-1)

1. Defendants shall modify the Verdict Form to include titles that 

correspond with the jury instructions.

2. Question 19 shall be modified to substitute “percentage of damages” 

in place of “percentage of responsibility.”

3. No later than January 19, 2016, plaintiff shall file a brief, not to 

exceed five pages, on the issue counsel raised at the hearing regarding “apportionment”

of liability or damages. Defendants may file a response, also not to exceed five pages, 

no later than two days after plaintiff’s brief is filed.

C. Exhibits

In designating exhibits and objections thereto, the parties may follow the 

procedure set forth in the Sixth Final Pretrial Order (Doc. 406) at 12 with regard to 

submission of deposition designations and objections thereto. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 12, 2016

__________________________________

PHYLLIS J. HAMILTON

United States District Judge

Case 4:04-cv-01221-PJH Document 453 Filed 01/12/16 Page 2 of 2