Tobacco giants to pay £495m to ailing smokers
Three cigarette manufacturers who lost a record-setting £1.1bn verdict to sick Florida smokers have agreed to pay them £495m, no matter how their appeals turn out.
‘‘That amount of money is guaranteed to the class win, lose or draw,’’ said Lorillard lawyer Ronald Milstein. ‘‘We’ve decided this is the surest path to making the appeals process unencumbered and unhindered.’’
