BOSTON - A jury has awarded $71 million in damages to the estate and son of a Boston woman who died of lung cancer, ruling in a lawsuit that accused Lorillard Tobacco Co. of trying to entice black children to become smokers by handing out free samples in urban neighborhoods. Willie Evans alleged that Lorillard introduced his mother to smoking as a child in the 1950s by giving her free Newport cigarettes in her Boston housing project. Evans said his mother smoked for more than 40 years before dying of lung cancer at age 54.
Look, I have no problem with this guy hustling for $71 million, if you can find a way to make money and people are dumb enough give it to you then congrats. My issue is with the courts that actually awarded these damages. Basically from what I gather this woman's son claimed she was given free smokes as a child 50-60 years ago. So to recap, his entire testimony was hearsay about events that may or may not have happened half a century ago from someone who wasn't even alive back then? Am I getting this right?
I also love the people who claim they didn't realize cigarettes were bad for their health. I'm not talking about the idiots of today who still continue to smoke despite all the information we have (how dumb do you have to be?), I'm talking about the people from decades ago who act all naive like they didn't know inhaling burning hot smoke from a rolled up piece of paper might be bad for them. Give me a frigen break.
