Kinnally v. RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, et al.

Summary

Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds prevailed at trial last February over the lung cancer death of a Massachusetts woman who smoked for more than 50 years.

A Massachusetts state court jury cleared the two tobacco companies of responsibility for the death of Joanne Kinnally, who died of lung cancer in 2014. Kinnally, 71, had smoked for roughly 55 years, favoring Kent-brand cigarettes, now owned by R.J. Reynolds, and Philip Morris Marlboro Lights. Kinallys husband claimed those cigarettes were defectively designed and the companies engaged in a conspiracy to hide the dangers of smoking, which he contended ultimately caused Kinnallys fatal cancer.

Outcome

Verdict for defendant.

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Kinnally, James
Defense: Philip Morris Tobacco Co
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

Judge: Kenneth Salinger
Jurisdiction: Superior Court of Massachusetts, Suffolk County
Court: Suffolk County Courthouse

Case Number: 1684CV03937
Industry: Tobacco
Practice Area: Products Liability

Plaintiff

Kinnally, James

Represented By:
Rainer, Andrew (The Public Health Advocacy Institute)
Leifer, Neil (The Public Health Advocacy Institute)

Defense

Philip Morris Tobacco Co

Represented By:
Geraghty, William "Bill" (Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP)
Calderon, M. Katie (Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP)

Defense

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

Sessions

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

AM Session

Openings

7 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:21:52	Opening Statement	Rainer, Andrew
01:13:52	Opening Statement	Geraghty, William "Bill"
02:03:27	Break
02:24:52	Opening Statement	Keehfus, Jason
02:50:52	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:48:40	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

2 Chapters

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
		01:58:28	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

4 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:34:02	Break
01:54:15	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:39:38	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

2 Chapters

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
		02:07:30	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:43:45	Break
02:14:15	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:59:30	Witness Cross Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:55:50	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

2 Chapters

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
		01:59:13	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:56:53	Break
02:07:56	Witness Cross Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:16:44	Witness Cross Examination	Keehfus, Jason	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:44:36	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
04:02:51	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Leifer, Neil	Ruckdeschel, Dr. John	In Person
01:56:00	Break
02:13:55	Witness Direct Examination	Leifer, Neil	Ruckdeschel, Dr. John	In Person
02:20:53	Witness Cross Examination	Calderon, M. Katie	Ruckdeschel, Dr. John	In Person
02:55:43	Witness Cross Examination	Murphy, Dennis	Ruckdeschel, Dr. John	In Person
03:14:55	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Leifer, Neil	Ruckdeschel, Dr. John	In Person
03:21:25	Witness Direct Examination	Murphy, Dennis	Fay, Elizabeth	Video Recording
03:56:48	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

2 Chapters

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Fay, Elizabeth	Video Recording
		01:52:10	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Prochaska, Dr. Judith	In Person
01:49:30	Break
02:04:55	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Prochaska, Dr. Judith	In Person
03:29:24	Witness Cross Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Prochaska, Dr. Judith	In Person
03:58:35	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Prochaska, Dr. Judith	In Person
01:57:06	Break
02:14:17	Witness Cross Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Prochaska, Dr. Judith	In Person
02:32:02	Witness Cross Examination	Wallace, Kate	Prochaska, Dr. Judith	In Person
03:04:00	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Prochaska, Dr. Judith	In Person
03:38:38	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Prochaska, Dr. Judith	In Person
03:41:09	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Wallace, Kate	Prochaska, Dr. Judith	In Person
03:48:10	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Lever, Meredith	Kinnally, Kara	In Person
00:45:41	Witness Cross Examination	Calderon, M. Katie	Kinnally, Kara	In Person
01:50:15	Witness Cross Examination	Wallace, Kate	Kinnally, Kara	In Person
01:52:57	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Lever, Meredith	Kinnally, Kara	In Person
01:56:42	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Calderon, M. Katie	Kinnally, Kara	In Person
01:58:45	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

12 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Millhiser, Ross	Video Recording
00:26:43	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Farone, Dr. William Ph.D.	Transcript Reading
01:35:13	Witness Cross Examination	Calderon, M. Katie	Farone, Dr. William Ph.D.	Transcript Reading
01:55:50	Break
02:12:10	Witness Cross Examination	Calderon, M. Katie	Farone, Dr. William Ph.D.	Transcript Reading
02:47:03	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Farone, Dr. William Ph.D.	Transcript Reading
02:50:55	Witness Direct Examination	Lever, Meredith	Cannon, Martha	Video Recording
03:13:35	Witness Cross Examination	Calderon, M. Katie	Cannon, Martha	Video Recording
03:39:41	Witness Cross Examination	Walker, John	Cannon, Martha	Video Recording
03:50:23	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Lever, Meredith	Cannon, Martha	Video Recording
03:52:48	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Calderon, M. Katie	Cannon, Martha	Video Recording
03:54:18	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Leifer, Neil	Kinnally, James	In Person
01:29:30	Witness Cross Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Kinnally, James	In Person
01:59:20	Break
02:14:40	Witness Cross Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Kinnally, James	In Person
03:17:59	Witness Cross Examination	Keehfus, Jason	Kinnally, James	In Person
03:31:17	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Leifer, Neil	Kinnally, James	In Person
03:35:40	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Spears, Dr. Alexander III	Video Recording
03:50:34	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Spears, Dr. Alexander III	Transcript Reading
00:07:08	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Morgan, James	Video Recording
00:42:32	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Simmons, Neil	Video Recording
01:06:27	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Johnson, Elizabeth	Video Recording
01:39:17	Witness Direct Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Leung, Kristy	Video Recording
02:04:25	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

2 Chapters

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Flora, Dr. Jason Ph.D.	In Person
		01:55:47	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

7 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Flora, Dr. Jason Ph.D.	In Person
00:45:00	Witness Cross Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Flora, Dr. Jason Ph.D.	In Person
01:45:02	Break
02:01:35	Witness Cross Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Flora, Dr. Jason Ph.D.	In Person
03:06:09	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Geraghty, William "Bill"	Flora, Dr. Jason Ph.D.	In Person
03:27:17	Witness Direct Examination		Dacey, Jack	Video Recording
03:54:39	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Keehfus, Jason	Garner, Charles	In Person
01:41:22	Break
01:58:35	Witness Direct Examination	Keehfus, Jason	Garner, Charles	In Person
02:13:43	Witness Cross Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Garner, Charles	In Person
03:40:55	End of Session

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Garner, Charles	In Person
00:10:17	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Keehfus, Jason	Garner, Charles	In Person
00:28:10	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Garner, Charles	In Person
00:32:38	Witness Direct Examination		Orcutt, Richard	Video Recording
01:23:30	Witness Cross Examination	Bliss, Paula	Orcutt, Richard	Video Recording
01:27:24	Witness Cross Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Orcutt, Richard	Video Recording
01:32:00	Witness Direct Examination		Richardson, Claire	Video Recording
01:56:40	End of Session

JAN

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

9 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination		Richardson, Claire	Video Recording
00:09:45	Witness Cross Examination	Riddles, Kevin	Richardson, Claire	Video Recording
00:13:54	Witness Cross Examination	Lever, Meredith	Richardson, Claire	Video Recording
00:14:27	Witness Direct Examination	Calderon, M. Katie	Vavreck, Lynn	In Person
01:32:57	Break
01:50:55	Witness Cross Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Vavreck, Lynn	In Person
03:16:28	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Calderon, M. Katie	Vavreck, Lynn	In Person
03:24:39	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Rainer, Andrew	Vavreck, Lynn	In Person
03:28:39	End of Session

PM Session

Other

2 Chapters

JAN

AM Session

Closings

6 Chapters

JAN

PM Session

Verdict

2 Chapters

JAN

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

Kinnally v. RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, et al.

Summary

Outcome

Sessions

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	Closing Statement	Geraghty, William "Bill"
00:46:19	Closing Statement	Keehfus, Jason
01:32:16	Break
01:54:19	Closing Statement	Rainer, Andrew
03:27:43	General Case Activities
03:45:16	End of Session