Cipollone v. Liggett Group - Significance, Cippolone Dies, But Her Case Proceeds, Related Cases, Joe Camel And The Advertising Controversy

plaintiff decision chief defendant

Plaintiff

Estate of Rose Cipollone

Defendant

Liggett Group

Plaintiff's Claim

That the defendant, a cigarette company, was liable for Rose Cipollone's death from cancer because it failed to warn consumers about the dangers of smoking.

Chief Lawyers for Plaintiff

Alan Darnell, Marc Z. Edell, and Cynthia Walters

Chief Defense Lawyer

H. Bartow Farr III

Judge

H. Lee Sarokin

Place

Newark, New Jersey

Date of Decision

13 June 1988

Decision

Jury awarded plaintiff damages of $400,000; reversed on appeal, lawsuit later dropped.

Sources

Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1999.

Additional Topics

Cipollone v. Liggett Group - Significance

Despite encouraging early victories, the lesson of the Cipollone case is that smokers face very burdensome legal difficulties in suing cigarette companies. Rose Cipollone of Little Ferry, New Jersey was born in 1926. Like many people of her generation, she took up smoking at an early age. Although medical studies examining evidence of a link between smoking and cancer began to appear as early as t…

Cipollone v. Liggett Group - Cippolone Dies, But Her Case Proceeds

Sarokin's decision was issued on 20 September 1984, and generated enormous publicity about the case. The prospect of successful smokers' litigation sent tobacco company stocks into a tailspin. Unfortunately for her, Cipollone died shortly thereafter, on 21 October 1984. Her husband, Antonio Cipollone, continued the case on behalf of her estate. After years of foot dragging and delays by Liggett's …

Cipollone v. Liggett Group - Joe Camel And The Advertising Controversy

In 1987 Camel revived its sagging image with what would become one of the most controversial ad campaigns of the twentieth century. Joe, the cartoon Camel, was a suave, witty figure who played pool and often found himself surrounded by beautiful women. His image helped Camel win consumers; but he also acquired enormous name recognition among children--a 1991 survey, for instance, found that six-ye…

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