CSR News Stories
Kazakhstan: Philip Morris suppliers used child and forced labour
A new report by Human Rights Watch has said that tobacco bought by Philip Morris International from Kazakhstan included farms that used workers that had been coerced into labour, along with child labour.
US: Widow paid over $60m as Philip Morris appeal thrown out
The US Supreme Court has said that a woman widowed twelve years ago when her partner died of lung cancer can collect the large financial award she was previously granted, tersely dismissing the appeal by tobacco giant Philip Morris USA.
US: Philip Morris ordered to pay $8m to widow of lung cancer victim
In the latest lawsuit against a tobacco company, Philip Morris has been ordered to pay damages to the widow and son of a victim of lung cancer who, prior to his death, smoked three packs of cigarettes per day.
US: Light cigarette suit can go ahead
The US Supreme Court has ruled that people can sue tobacco companies over alleged deceptive marketing of light or low-tar cigarettes using state consumer protection laws.
US: Tobacco case over low tar cigarettes thrown out by Supreme Court
The US Supreme Court has thrown out a damages claim of $10bn against Philip Morris for allegedly misleading people over descriptions of products as "light" cigarettes, confirming an earlier ruling by the Illinois court.
US: Tobacco firms lose lawsuit on fraud
Leading tobacco companies have been found guilty by a US federal judge of conspiring to deceive the public about the risks of smoking, in violation of racketeering laws.
Philip Morris apologises for Maori 'mistake'
Louis Camilleri, the chief executive of Altria, parent group of Philip Morris, has apologised for launching a brand of cigarettes in Israel called 'Maori Mix' that used imagery from the Maori people and a map of New Zealand.
Hong Kong: Controversy over cut price cigarettes
Philip Morris has provoked criticism in Hong Kong over its recent steep price reductions on some of its key brands, a move which some are saying is driven by the desire to attract new young smokers before a ban of smoking in public places comes into force.
Philip Morris finally loses appeal over record damages to smoker's widow
Philip Morris USA will have to pay damages of over $82m to the widow of the smoker of its cigarettes following the refusal of the US Supreme Court to review the verdict in the case. The damages are the highest ever for a case involving an individual smoker.
US: Tobacco lawsuit requested penalty slashed
US Justice Department lawyers made a dramatic change of heart in a major civil racketeering case against tobacco companies by slashing the requested penalty from $130bn to $10bn.
Philip Morris settles smuggling claims for $1.25 bn
Philip Morris International has agreed a $1.25bn settlement with the European Union over accusations of collusion with cigarette smuggling.
Philip Morris wins cancer lawsuit
Philip Morris has been cleared by a jury in California of negligence and misrepresentation. The case marks the conclusion of the latest tobacco lawsuit brought by a smoker seeking damages arising from lung cancer.
Tobacco companies settle over price fixing
Philip Morris and other tobacco companies have reached a $200m settlement over a lawsuit from American tobacco farmers that alleged the companies fixed prices paid to growers at auction.
US: Limits placed on punitive damages
The US Supreme Court has overturned a $145m punitive damages award levied on State Farm Insurance Co and in so doing has established a clear direction on how such penalties should be handled in future.
Philip Morris hit with $10bn penalty over 'light' cigarettes
Philip Morris has been found liable for failing to effectively communicate risks attached with "light" cigarettes in a US court and fined over $10bn. The company was said to have known that 'light' and low-tar cigarettes could be actually more dangerous than the standard alternatives due to increased ventilation which would allow more smoke to be inhaled.
Tobacco industry faces nightmare lawsuit
A US federal judge has decided that a lawsuit being brought against the tobacco industry can be conducted as a nationwide class action - potentially leading to the involvement of a far larger group of people and huge damages against the industry.
US: Tobacco companies win flight attendant case
A Miami jury has ruled that RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co, Philip Morris and other cigarette manufacturers are not liable in a suit filed by Suzette Ahrendt Janoff, a retired flight attendant who claimed to have developed chronic sinusitis and other injuries as a result of her on-the-job exposure to secondhand smoke.
US: Philip Morris 'tried to limit patch use'
When nicotine gum and nicotine patches first hit the market in the 1980s US tobacco company Philip Morris tried to limit the number of smokers who knew about them, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Philip Morris hit with $150m low-tar verdict
Philip Morris has been ordered to pay $150m to the estate of a woman who died of lung cancer after smoking their low-tar cigarettes. The verdict is the first which has specifically focused on the low-tar brands, which have been promoted as safer than standard cigarettes.
Philip Morris distances group from the mark of tobacco
Philip Morris has announced that it is to change the name of the overall group to Altria Group in a move widely interpreted as intending to distance the company's non-tobacco brands, such as Kraft foods, from the tainted association.
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