Supreme Court of California

Protections enjoyed by tobacco companies during the 10-year immunity period from product liability (under the since-repealed version of Civil Code section 1714.45) do not extend to allegations of use of additives that exposed smokers to dangers beyond those commonly associated with smoking.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/05/2002
• Published 08/05/2002

Judges

•  KENNARD, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
•  Wartnick, Chaber, Harowitz, Smith & Tigerman, Wartnick, Chaber, Harowitz & Tigerman, Harry F. Wartnick, Madelyn J. Chaber, Phillip Scott Chan, San Francisco;  Law Offices of Daniel U. Smith, Daniel U. Smith, Los Angeles, and Ted W. Pelletier for Plaintiffs and Appellants., Meyers, Nave, Riback, Silver & Wilson and Andre J. Saltzman for Professor Stephen D. Sugarman as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants., Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Richard M. Frank, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Dennis Eckhart, Assistant Attorney General, and Peter M. Williams, Deputy Attorney General, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Falk & Rabkin, H. Joseph Escher III, Ethan P. Schulman, Keith D. Kessler, Richard Shively, San Francisco, and Anne Marie Eileraas for Defendant and Respondent R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company., Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold and Frederick D. Baker, San Francisco, for Defendant and Respondent Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation., Fred Main for California Chamber of Commerce as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents., William L. Gausewitz for The Alliance of American Insurers, The American Insurance Association, The National Association of Independent Insurers, The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies and The Reinsurance Association of America as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents.