Opinion ID: 2638174
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Grisham's Complaint

Text: Grisham began smoking in 1962-1963 as a young teenager. At the time she began smoking, she was unaware of the increased, risk of developing emphysema from smoking, or the increased risk of developing, as she did, persistent and chronic periodontitis and gingivitis. She was induced to start smoking by the advertising and representations of cigarette manufacturers, including defendants. ( Grisham, supra, 403 F.3d at p. 634, fn. 5.) Grisham attempted to quit smoking unsuccessfully on a number of occasions. One such occasion was during a period in 1993 and 1994. As she states in her complaint: Plaintiff, while still smoking, joined Nicotine Anonymous, to help her overcome her nicotine addition. One suggestion plaintiff received was to give up her regular brand of cigarettes and switch to a less desirable brand of cigarettes that were not as satisfying, but were low in tars and nicotine. For several months, on the basis of that suggestion, plaintiff stopped smoking Merit 100's and began smoking Carlton's, which were advertised as lower in tars and nicotine. Plaintiff smoked Carlton cigarettes for approximately four to six months. Plaintiff then attempted, unsuccessfully, to quit smoking by obtaining a prescription for Nicorette gum. The Nicorette gum did not control the nicotine addiction and plaintiff began smoking again in mid-1994. Grisham was diagnosed with the beginning stages of irreversible emphysema on or about March 28, 2001. Shortly thereafter, in April 2001, she was diagnosed with persistent and chronic periodontitis and gingivitis, leading to loss of teeth and facial disfigurement. She alleges that had she been aware of the true facts regarding the magnitude of the health risks and extent to which cigarettes were addictive, and that nicotine levels were manipulated by defendants and other cigarette manufacturers to foster the addiction, she would not have started smoking. Grisham filed suit on March 15, 2002, within a year of her diagnosis for emphysema and persistent and chronic periodontitis and gingivitis. She alleged (1) negligence, (2) strict liability, (3) false representation, (4) deceit/fraudulent concealment, (5) unfair competition and business practices, (6) negligent false and misleading advertising, (7) intentional false and misleading advertising, (8) civil conspiracy and breach of express warranty. Throughout her complaint, Grisham alleges that her addiction to cigarettes was a key link in the causal chain that led to her physical injuries. For example, in her civil conspiracy cause of action, she alleges that she has now developed the irreversible beginning stages of emphysema, she has suffered from painful chronic and persistent periodontitis and gingivitis, as well as suffered alveolar bone loss which has led to the disfiguring loss of teeth, all of which was caused by plaintiffs addiction to smoking. In at least one of Grisham's causes of action, however, she alleges that addiction caused not physical but economic injury. In her cause of action for Unfair Competition/Unlawful Business Practices she states: As a result of the point of sale targeting of youth and minor smokers, at least 90% of adult smokers, including plaintiff, began purchasing the cigarettes to which they became addicted while under the age of 18[,] [i]n reliance upon the representations and inducements of the point of sale targeting of minor smokers by the cigarette manufacturers, including defendants.... As a result of the continuing course of conduct of the defendants, and each of them, as outlined above, defendants have been unjustly enriched from the years-long sales of addictive cigarettes, first to minors and youths, including plaintiff, to addict and ensure to the said defendants, and each of them, an ongoing flow of profits throughout the years, as the addicted smokers continued to purchase cigarettes. The true amount of unjust enrichment gained from the ongoing and continuing purchase of cigarettes by addicted smokers who began smoking as minors is as yet unknown to Plaintiff, who requests leave to amend this Complaint to conform to proof at the time of trial.