Title: Howard A. Engle, M.D., Et Al. v. Liggett Group, Inc., Et Al.  (order)
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC03-1856
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: December 21, 2006

Supreme Court of Florida 
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2006 
 
 
CASE NOS.:  SC03-1856 
 
Lower Tribunal Nos.:  3D00-3400 
 
 
 
 
      3D00-3206 
 
 
 
 
      3D00-3207 
 
 
 
 
      3D00-3208 
 
 
 
 
      3D00-3210 
 
 
 
 
      3D00-3212 
 
 
 
 
      3D00-3215 
 
 
HOWARD A. ENGLE, M.D., 
vs. 
LIGGETT GROUP, INC., 
ET AL. 
 
ET AL. 
 
Petitioner(s) 
 
Respondent(s) 
 
 
 
The motions for rehearing filed by the petitioners and Liggett Group, LLC., 
are hereby denied.  Respondents' motion for rehearing is hereby granted in part and 
denied in part, and the opinion issued July 6, 2006, is hereby withdrawn.  The 
opinion dated December 21, 2006, is issued in lieu thereof and has been revised as 
follows:  The Court upholds the Phase I finding in favor of the Engle Class on 
Question 7 (breach of express warranty).  However, the Court's determination that 
the fraud and misrepresentation finding in Question 4 cannot stand, necessarily 
invalidates the conspiracy to misrepresent finding in Question 5.  The Court also 
corrects a misstatement regarding one of the jury's findings as to class 
representative Della Vecchia.  The opinion has been revised on pages 4, 6, and 52-
53, and these revisions are set forth in bold and strike-through below: 
 
This same majority concludes that it was proper to allow the jury to make 
findings in Phase I on Questions 1 (general causation), 2(addiction of 
cigarettes), 3 (strict liability), 4(a) (fraud by concealment), 5 (civil 
conspiracy- misrepresentation), 5(a) (civil-conspiracy-concealment), 6 
(breach of implied warranty), 7 (breach of express warranty), and 8 
(negligence).  Therefore, these findings in favor of the Engle Class can 
stand. The Court unanimously agrees that the nonspecific findings in favor 
of the plaintiffs on Questions 4 (fraud and misrepresentation) and 9 
(intentional infliction of emotional distress) are inadequate to allow a 
subsequent jury to consider individual questions of reliance and legal cause.  
Therefore, these findings cannot stand.  Because the finding in favor of the 
plaintiffs on Question 5 (civil conspiracy-misrepresentation) relies on 
the underlying tort of misrepresentation, this finding also cannot stand.   
 
          . . . .  
. . . The jury specifically found that her conditions were lung disease 
was caused by smoking. . . .     
 
 
. . . . 
We approve the Phase I findings for the class as to Questions 1 (that 
smoking cigarettes causes aortic aneurysm, bladder cancer, cerebrovascular 
disease, cervical cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary 
heart disease, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, laryngeal cancer, lung 
cancer (specifically, adenocarinoma, large cell carcinoma, small cell 
carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma), complications of pregnancy, oral 
cavity/tongue cancer,pancreatic cancer, peripheral vascular disease, 
pharyngeal cancer, and stomach cancer), 2 (that nicotine in cigarettes is 
addictive), 3 (that the defendants placed cigarettes on the market that were 
defective and unreasonably dangerous), 4(a) (that the defendants concealed 
or omitted material information not otherwise known or available knowing 
that the material was false or misleading or failed to disclose a material fact 
concerning the health effects or addictive nature of smoking cigarettes or 
both), 5 (that all of the defendants agreed to misrepresent information 
relating to the health effects of cigarettes or the addictive nature of cigarettes 
with the intention that smokers and the public would rely on this information 
to their detriment), 5(a) (that the defendants agreed to conceal or omit 
information regarding the 
health effects of cigarettes or their addictive nature 
with the intention that smokers and the public would rely on this information 
to their detriment), 6 (that all of the defendants sold or supplied cigarettes 
that were defective), (7) (that all of the defendants sold or supplied 
cigarettes that, at the time of sale or supply, did not conform to 
representations of fact made by said defendants), and 8 (that all of the 
defendants were negligent). Therefore, these findings in favor of the Engle 
Class can stand. 
 
 
NO FURTHER MOTIONS FOR REHEARING WILL BE ENTERTAINED BY 
THIS COURT. 
 
 
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LEWIS, C.J., and ANSTEAD, PARIENTE, and QUINCE, JJ., concur. 
WELLS and BELL, JJ., would grant the motion of Liggett Group LLC and would 
grant the motion of the other respondents on all points. 
CANTERO, J., recused. 
 
 
A True Copy 
Test: 
 
jn 
Served: 
 
GORDON SMITH             
 
 
THEODORE JON LEOPOLD 
DAVID EGGERT          
 
 
PHILLIP TIMOTHY HOWARD 
MICHAEL FAY                
 
 
HON. ROBERT P. KAYE, JUDGE 
JAMES A. GOOLD                      
 
NORWOOD S. WILNER 
MELVIN S. SPAETH          
 
 
D. DOUGLAS BLANKE 
BARRY GOHEEN                    
 
ROBERT L. KLINE 
PETER J. WINDERS          
 
 
RICHARD A. DAYNARD, PH.D. 
STANLEY M. ROSENBLATT      
 
JOHN F. NIBLOCK 
SUSAN ROSENBLATT            
 
 
JON S. VERNICK 
DAVID L. ROSS                                
STEPHEN P. TERET 
KATHLEEN MARIE SALES       
 
JOHN B. OSTROW 
KENNETH J. REILLY          
 
 
MATTHEW L. MYERS 
NORMAN A. COLL                  
 
MICHAEL STROUD 
ROBERT H. KLONOFF  
 
 
JESSICA DAVIDSON MILLER 
ELLIOT H. SCHERKER                   
RICHARD FRANKEL 
ANTHONY N. UPSHAW            
 
DANIEL J. POPEO 
WILLIAM P. GERAGHTY          
 
DAVID PRICE 
RICHARD A. SCHNEIDER      
 
REBECCA O'DELL TOWNSEND 
STEPHEN N. ZACK            
 
 
ROY C. YOUNG 
KELLY ANNE LUTHER 
 
 
CHRISTOPHER BANTHIN 
ROBERT C. HEIM                
 
 
JOHN BEISNER 
JAMES T. NEWSOM     
 
 
TAMMY PERDUE 
DIANE P. FLANNERY    
 
 
DAN K. WEBB 
 
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R. BENJAMIN REID         
 
 
AARON H. MARKS 
JOSEPH P. MOODHE  
 
 
JAMES R. JOHNSON 
JOSEPH PATRICK ARCHIE  
 
RENALDY J. GUTIERREZ 
WENDY FRANK LUMISH 
 
 
DANIEL R BENSON 
STUART ALTSCHULER 
 
 
MARC E. KASOWITZ 
ARTHUR J. ENGLAND, JR.  
 
ALVIN BRUCE DAVIS 
ROBIN S. CONRAD 
 
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