Leidinger v. R.J. Reynolds

Summary

In this tobacco case, plaintiff seeks damages for smoking-related disease.

Outcome

Verdict for plaintiff.
Total damages: $5,570,593.00
Including $3 million in compensatory damages and $2,570,593.00 in punitive damages.

Apportionment of fault:
R.J. Reynolds: 67%
Rebecca Leidinger: 33%

$5.57M Total Verdict Against RJR for 49-Year-Old's Lung Cancer Death
Nov 24, 2021

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Leidinger, Rebecca
Defense: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
Verdict: $5,570,593

Judge: Dana Moore
Jurisdiction: 10th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Court: Polk County Courthouse

Industry: Tobacco
Practice Area: Tobacco

Plaintiff

Leidinger, Rebecca

Represented By:
Paige, Gary

Defense

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

Represented By:
Belasic, Mark (Jones Day (Cleveland))

Expert Witnesses

Lay Witnesses

Sessions

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

AM Session

Openings

3 Chapters

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:14:31	Opening Statement	Paige, Gary
01:52:47	End of Session

PM Session

Openings

7 Chapters

NOV

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

4 Chapters

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

NOV

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

NOV

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

4 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

NOV

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

NOV

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Castellano-Lombard, Cassandra	White, Glynda	In Person
01:05:12	Break
01:15:56	Witness Cross Examination	Pedrosa, Eliot	White, Glynda	In Person
02:01:23	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Castellano-Lombard, Cassandra	White, Glynda	In Person
02:07:20	Witness Direct Examination		Figlar, Dr. James Ph.D.	Video Recording
03:11:02	End of Session

NOV

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

14 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

4 Chapters

NOV

AM Session

Closings

7 Chapters

PM Session

Closings

4 Chapters

NOV

PM Session

Verdict

4 Chapters

PM Session

Openings - Damages

11 Chapters

NOV

AM Session

Closings - Damages

6 Chapters

PM Session

Verdict - Damages

4 Chapters

NOV

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

Leidinger v. R.J. Reynolds

Summary

Outcome

Sessions

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:12	Opening Statement	Belasic, Mark
01:14:55	Break
01:29:21	Witness Direct Examination	Paige, Gary	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:10:00	Break
02:20:59	Witness Direct Examination	Paige, Gary	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:19:40	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
01:37:53	Break
02:01:30	Witness Direct Examination	Paige, Gary	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:04:50	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:07:37	Witness Direct Examination	Paige, Gary	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:33:52	Break
01:55:23	Witness Direct Examination	Paige, Gary	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:01:02	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:15	Witness Direct Examination	Paige, Gary	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:22:28	Break
01:36:52	Witness Direct Examination	Paige, Gary	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:24:10	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:20	Witness Direct Examination	Paige, Gary	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
00:59:55	General Case Activities
01:01:30	Break
01:10:48	Witness Cross Examination	Belasic, Mark	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:22:29	Break
02:33:28	Witness Cross Examination	Belasic, Mark	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:20:27	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
01:46:53	Break
02:11:52	Witness Cross Examination	Belasic, Mark	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:16:23	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:07	Witness Cross Examination	Belasic, Mark	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
00:07:23	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Paige, Gary	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
00:50:32	Break
01:02:12	Witness Direct Examination		McCormack, Joseph	Transcript Reading
01:51:56	Break
02:07:47	Witness Direct Examination		Borgerding, Dr. Michael	Video Recording
02:19:29	Witness Direct Examination		Williams, James	Transcript Reading
03:03:49	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:26	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
01:28:52	Break
01:39:42	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
02:28:57	General Case Activities
02:35:34	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:15	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
01:14:05	Break
01:28:07	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
02:48:10	Break
03:04:10	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
03:07:52	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:19	Witness Cross Examination	Pedrosa, Eliot	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
01:43:13	General Case Activities
01:50:03	Break
02:02:11	Witness Cross Examination	Pedrosa, Eliot	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
02:45:58	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
03:31:25	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:06:13	Break
00:14:05	General Case Activities
00:19:23	Witness Direct Examination	Castellano-Lombard, Cassandra	Kidd, Joy	In Person
00:49:49	Witness Cross Examination	Harrison, Bradley	Kidd, Joy	In Person
01:00:34	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Castellano-Lombard, Cassandra	Kidd, Joy	In Person
01:05:23	Witness Direct Examination	Castellano-Lombard, Cassandra	Leidinger, Rebecca	In Person
01:47:38	General Case Activities
01:50:57	Break
02:02:26	Witness Direct Examination	Castellano-Lombard, Cassandra	Leidinger, Rebecca	In Person
02:24:08	Break
02:30:33	Witness Cross Examination	Belasic, Mark	Leidinger, Rebecca	In Person
03:04:31	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Castellano-Lombard, Cassandra	Leidinger, Rebecca	In Person
03:05:39	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:30	General Case Activities	Belasic, Mark
00:02:17	General Case Activities
00:50:51	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:02:01	Break
00:09:17	Closing Statement	Paige, Gary
01:56:30	Break
02:20:12	General Case Activities
02:30:05	Closing Statement	Belasic, Mark
04:20:05	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	General Case Activities
		00:00:43	Reading of the Verdict
		00:03:24	General Case Activities
		00:04:07	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:24	Opening Statement	Paige, Gary
00:14:24	Opening Statement	Belasic, Mark
00:27:43	General Case Activities
00:29:55	Witness Direct Examination	Belasic, Mark	Garner, Charles	In Person
01:25:13	Break
01:44:23	Witness Cross Examination	Paige, Gary	Garner, Charles	In Person
01:54:30	Break
02:05:33	Witness Cross Examination	Paige, Gary	Garner, Charles	In Person
02:48:02	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Belasic, Mark	Garner, Charles	In Person
02:49:58	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:55	Closing Statement	Sales, David
00:31:17	Closing Statement	Belasic, Mark
01:06:19	Closing Statement	Paige, Gary
01:16:37	General Case Activities
01:20:47	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	General Case Activities
		00:00:33	Reading of the Verdict
		00:01:01	General Case Activities
		00:01:55	End of Session