Ken Ellis v. RJ Reynolds

Summary

In this Engle progeny suit, plaintiff, the son of Betty Owens, claims that defendant's concealment of the dangers of smoking, combined with their cigarette production process, caused Owens to become addicted to smoking. Plaintiff alleges Owens's 40-plus year smoking habit led to her lung cancer and death.
Defendant claims Owens never wanted to quit smoking and challenges the assertion that her lung cancer was smoking-related.

The jury rendered a verdict for defendant, finding that Owens was either not addicted to cigarettes or that any addiction was not the legal cause of her lung cancer.

Outcome

Verdict for the defense

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Ellis, Ken
Defense: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

Judge: Virginia Norton
Jurisdiction: 4th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Court: Duval County Courthouse

Case Number: 16-2007-CA-11175
Industry: Tobacco
Practice Area: Tobacco, Tort Law

Plaintiff

Ellis, Ken

Represented By:
Shamp, Laura (Shamp Silk)
Bryan, Leslie (Doffermyre Shields Canfield & Knowles, LLC)

Defense

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

Expert Witnesses

Lay Witnesses

Sessions

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

PM Session

Openings

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:21:00	Opening Statement	Shamp, Laura
01:41:30	Break
01:58:47	Opening Statement	Geise, Steven
03:01:55	End of Session

AUG

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

AUG

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

AUG

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

15 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

SEP

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

14 Chapters

SEP

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

12 Chapters

SEP

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

11 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

SEP

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

13 Chapters

SEP

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

22 Chapters

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

PM Session

Other

3 Chapters

SEP

AM Session

Closings

6 Chapters

PM Session

Closings

9 Chapters

SEP

AM Session

Verdict

3 Chapters

SEP

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Bryan, Leslie	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:38:13	Break
01:50:16	General Case Activities
01:54:59	Break
02:09:45	Witness Direct Examination	Bryan, Leslie	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:58:35	Witness Cross Examination	Carter, Edward	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:41:50	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:04:43	Witness Cross Examination	Carter, Edward	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:22:40	Break
01:41:02	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Bryan, Leslie	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:09:30	General Case Activities
02:21:26	General Case Activities		Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:23:46	General Case Activities	Bryan, Leslie	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:24:54	General Case Activities	Carter, Edward	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:31:52	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	Video Recording
03:45:35	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:23	General Case Activities	Carter, Edward
00:08:51	Witness Cross Examination	Carter, Edward	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	Video Recording
01:19:59	Break
01:21:27	General Case Activities
01:28:48	Break
01:36:36	General Case Activities
01:37:54	General Case Activities	Shamp, Laura	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
01:42:39	General Case Activities	Carter, Edward	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
01:49:04	Break
01:55:35	General Case Activities
01:58:22	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
02:59:42	General Case Activities
03:03:02	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
03:18:21	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:05:53	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
01:27:51	Break
01:52:46	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
02:49:17	Witness Cross Examination	Carter, Edward	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
03:06:32	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:15:09	Break
00:25:33	General Case Activities
00:29:58	Witness Cross Examination	Carter, Edward	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
01:27:48	General Case Activities
01:30:51	Break
01:44:13	Witness Cross Examination	Carter, Edward	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
03:30:48	End of Session

Ken Ellis v. RJ Reynolds

Summary

Outcome

Sessions

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:26:15	Break
01:17:20	Witness Direct Examination	Bryan, Leslie	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:35:59	Break
02:51:52	Witness Direct Examination	Bryan, Leslie	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:26:44	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:02:40	Witness Cross Examination	Carter, Edward	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
01:02:33	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
01:22:45	Break
01:50:53	General Case Activities
01:55:54	Break
01:59:14	General Case Activities
02:01:25	Break
02:04:06	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
02:52:16	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Carter, Edward	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
03:01:53	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
03:05:18	General Case Activities
03:25:48	General Case Activities		Goldberg, Dr. Marvin Ph.D.	In Person
03:36:33	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:32:04	Break
00:36:44	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Figlar, Dr. James Ph.D.	In Person
01:58:48	Break
02:19:42	General Case Activities
02:21:42	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Figlar, Dr. James Ph.D.	In Person
03:16:43	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:02:30	Break
00:05:09	Witness Cross Examination	Geise, Steven	Figlar, Dr. James Ph.D.	In Person
01:26:47	Break
01:46:38	Witness Cross Examination	Geise, Steven	Figlar, Dr. James Ph.D.	In Person
02:37:53	Break
02:38:48	General Case Activities
02:42:20	Break
02:53:38	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Figlar, Dr. James Ph.D.	In Person
03:31:45	General Case Activities
03:36:34	General Case Activities		Figlar, Dr. James Ph.D.	In Person
03:46:11	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:05:00	Break
00:06:58	Witness Direct Examination	Bryan, Leslie	Wright, Dr. Ronald M.D.	In Person
01:35:32	Break
01:56:47	Witness Cross Examination	Caseldine, Katrina	Wright, Dr. Ronald M.D.	In Person
02:26:09	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Bryan, Leslie	Wright, Dr. Ronald M.D.	In Person
02:34:09	General Case Activities	Caseldine, Katrina	Wright, Dr. Ronald M.D.	In Person
02:38:14	General Case Activities	Bryan, Leslie	Wright, Dr. Ronald M.D.	In Person
02:42:04	General Case Activities
02:43:09	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Scofield, Martha	In Person
03:31:55	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:39	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Scofield, Martha	In Person
00:19:55	Break
01:02:07	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Scofield, Martha	In Person
01:16:30	Witness Cross Examination	Caseldine, Katrina	Scofield, Martha	In Person
02:01:39	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Scofield, Martha	In Person
02:03:30	General Case Activities
02:06:30	General Case Activities		Scofield, Martha	In Person
02:16:10	General Case Activities
02:19:51	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:10:59	Break
00:17:53	General Case Activities
00:25:18	General Case Activities
00:26:02	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Ellis, Ken	In Person
01:50:01	Break
02:09:58	Witness Cross Examination	Geise, Steven	Ellis, Ken	In Person
03:07:11	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:03:00	Witness Cross Examination	Geise, Steven	Ellis, Ken	In Person
01:08:06	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Ellis, Ken	In Person
01:16:26	General Case Activities
01:32:41	General Case Activities		Ellis, Ken	In Person
01:36:47	General Case Activities	Geise, Steven	Ellis, Ken	In Person
01:42:51	Break
01:56:48	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Birdwell, Bernice	Video Recording
02:32:50	General Case Activities	Shamp, Laura	Werner, Dr. Tonia M.D.	In Person
02:37:04	General Case Activities	Geise, Steven	Werner, Dr. Tonia M.D.	In Person
02:43:23	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Werner, Dr. Tonia M.D.	In Person
02:56:26	General Case Activities
02:58:11	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:34	Witness Direct Examination	Shamp, Laura	Werner, Dr. Tonia M.D.	In Person
01:25:44	Break
01:47:14	Witness Cross Examination	Geise, Steven	Werner, Dr. Tonia M.D.	In Person
02:50:18	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	General Case Activities
		00:16:12	General Case Activities
		02:10:48	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:31:20	General Case Activities
00:55:55	Closing Statement	Shamp, Laura
02:06:11	Break
02:21:04	Closing Statement	Shamp, Laura
02:49:41	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:08:17	Break
00:10:34	Closing Statement	Geise, Steven
01:57:49	Break
02:16:45	General Case Activities
02:18:47	Closing Statement	Shamp, Laura
02:36:32	General Case Activities
02:49:24	General Case Activities
02:53:08	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	General Case Activities
		00:00:33	Reading of the Verdict
		00:04:21	End of Session