Opinion ID: 1920213
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Owens Corning.

Text: ¶ 25. RJR asserts that the Owens Corning decision emphasizes the breadth of the Lane holding. RJR's reliance on Owens Corning is misplaced. ¶ 26. Owens Corning, was an appeal from a grant of summary judgment. 868 So.2d at 334. The trial court entered summary judgment in favor of tobacco defendants based on the remoteness doctrine and directed entry of final judgment against all of Owens Corning's claims. Id. Then-Justice, now-Presiding Justice Cobb, speaking for the Court concluded that Owens Corning's claims were indirect. Id. at 338. Justice Cobb noted that nine federal courts of appeals and several state appellate courts weighed this issue and rejected claims similar to Owen Corning's. Id. at 337-38 n. 7. See, e.g., Tex. Carpenters Health Benefit Fund v. Philip Morris, Inc., 199 F.3d 788 (5th Cir.2000) (loss suffered was too remote from the manufacture and sale of cigarettes to recover for alleged antitrust or RICO violations ... funds' lawsuits constitute an illegitimate end-run around principles of subrogation); Seibels Bruce Group, Inc. v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 1999 WL 760527 (N.D.Cal. Sept.21, 1999) (no standing absent showing of direct injury); Republic of Venezuela ex rel. Garrido v. Philip Morris Cos., 827 So.2d 339 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.2002) (Plaintiff did not have a direct independent cause of action against tobacco companies); Steamfitters Local Union No. 614 Health & Welfare Fund v. Philip Morris, Inc., 2000 WL 1390171 (Tenn.Ct.App. Sept.26, 2000) (plaintiffs' alleged injuries are too remote, as a matter of law, to permit recovery on antitrust, fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, conspiracy, and violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act violations). ¶ 27. Owens Corning quoted the U.S. Supreme Court: `[A] plaintiff who complain[s] of harm flowing merely from the misfortunes visited upon a third person by the defendant's acts [is] generally said to stand at too remote a distance to recover.' 868 So.2d at 339 (quoting Holmes v. Secs. Investor Prot. Corp., 503 U.S. 258, 268-69, 112 S.Ct. 1311, 1318, 117 L.Ed.2d 532 (1992)). Furthermore, Justice Cobb stated that the summary judgment was determined based on the remoteness of injury, not the egregiousness of conduct. Owens Corning, 868 So.2d at 343. Although Owens Corning cited Lane, it did not broaden the application of Lane. See id. at 340. The case sub judice is clearly distinguishable from Owens Corning, and as such, RJR's issue is without merit.