A WOMAN with lung cancer is to be awarded the highest court-ordered payment yet to an ex-smoker after a last-ditch appeal was rejected.

A woman with lung cancer is to be awarded the highest court-ordered payment yet to an ex-smoker after a last-ditch appeal was rejected.

After five years of legal wrangling, America‘s largest cigarette-makers are today meeting federal lawyers in court for the trial phase of the government’s record $280bn (€229.7bn) civil racketeering suit against the tobacco industry.

A Los Angeles judge has slashed a record-breaking $28bn (€27.3bn) award to a former smoker to $28m (€27.3m), saying the jury’s decision on punitive damages was excessive.

Philip Morris Cos Inc has been ordered by a US jury here to pay just over $168,500 (€192,110) in compensatory and $150m (€171m) in punitive damages to Dr. Richard Schwarz for the death of his wife, Michelle.