Chacon v. Philip Morris

Summary

In this tobacco liability case, Elsa Chacon, claims defendant tobacco manufacturers concealed the dangers of cigarettes, leading to the nicotine addiction and smoking-related disease of Robiel Chacon.

Outcome

Verdict for plaintiff.
Total damages: $1,000,000.
Including $800,000 in compensatory damages and $200,000 in punitive damages.

Apportionment of fault:
Robiel Chacon: 70%
Philip Morris: 30%

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Chacon, Elsa
Defense: Philip Morris USA, Inc.
Verdict: $1,000,000

Judge: Jennifer Bailey
Jurisdiction: 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Court: Dade County Courthouse

Case Number: 08-102-CA-09
Industry: Tobacco
Practice Area: Tobacco, Products Liability

Plaintiff

Chacon, Elsa

Defense

Philip Morris USA, Inc.

Represented By:
Vaughan, Robert (Kim Vaughan Lerner LLP (Fort Lauderdale))
Walden, Michael (Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP)

Expert Witnesses

Lay Witnesses

Sessions

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

PM Session

Openings

6 Chapters

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:56	Opening Statement	Navarro, Xavier
00:53:05	Break
00:57:21	Opening Statement	Vaughan, Robert
01:14:16	General Case Activities
01:19:37	End of Session

SEP

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

SEP

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

SEP

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

SEP

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

SEP

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

SEP

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

OCT

AM Session

Closings

14 Chapters

PM Session

Closings

5 Chapters

OCT

PM Session

Other

2 Chapters

PM Session

Verdict

4 Chapters

PM Session

Openings - Damages

9 Chapters

OCT

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es) - Damages

10 Chapters

PM Session

Defense Witness(es) - Damages

9 Chapters

PM Session

Verdict - Damages

4 Chapters

OCT

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:40:05	Break
00:42:29	Opening Statement	Vaughan, Robert
01:26:25	Witness Direct Examination	Reyes, Nick	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:42:33	Break
02:56:27	Witness Direct Examination	Reyes, Nick	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
04:02:07	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:10:46	Witness Direct Examination	Reyes, Nick	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
00:51:35	Break
01:02:20	Witness Direct Examination	Reyes, Nick	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:56:20	Witness Direct Examination	Reyes, Nick	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:52:35	General Case Activities
02:57:55	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:51:06	Break
00:54:28	General Case Activities
01:07:59	Witness Direct Examination	Reyes, Nick	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:16:03	General Case Activities
02:23:18	Break
02:29:22	Witness Direct Examination	Reyes, Nick	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:48:36	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:41	Break
00:10:52	General Case Activities
00:16:28	Witness Direct Examination	Reyes, Nick	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:50:28	Break
02:16:17	Witness Direct Examination	Reyes, Nick	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:47:01	General Case Activities
03:55:31	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:12:34	Witness Direct Examination	Reyes, Nick	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:14:10	Witness Cross Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:58:25	Break
02:14:08	General Case Activities
02:18:41	Witness Cross Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:08:57	End of Session

Chacon v. Philip Morris

Summary

Outcome

Sessions

AudioCaseFiles

Essentials

Training Libraries

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:05:55	Witness Cross Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
00:53:15	Break
01:01:01	Witness Cross Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:20:25	Break
01:47:51	Witness Cross Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:02:28	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Reyes, Nick	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:23:58	General Case Activities
03:27:00	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:27:23	Witness Direct Examination	Navarro, Xavier	Chacon, Elsa	In Person
02:09:23	Break
02:22:22	General Case Activities
02:26:24	Witness Direct Examination	Navarro, Xavier	Chacon, Elsa	In Person
02:51:17	General Case Activities
02:53:35	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:05:35	Break
00:11:05	Witness Cross Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Chacon, Elsa	In Person
01:27:31	Break
01:46:57	Witness Cross Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Chacon, Elsa	In Person
03:23:37	Break
03:33:26	Witness Cross Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Chacon, Elsa	In Person
03:58:36	General Case Activities
04:05:51	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:06:27	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, William	Drobes, Dr. David Ph.D.	In Person
01:21:53	General Case Activities
01:24:56	Break
01:37:32	General Case Activities
01:42:32	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, William	Drobes, Dr. David Ph.D.	In Person
02:32:10	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:30	Witness Direct Examination	Brown, William	Drobes, Dr. David Ph.D.	In Person
00:27:33	Witness Cross Examination	Walden, Michael	Drobes, Dr. David Ph.D.	In Person
01:27:58	Break
01:45:02	Witness Cross Examination	Walden, Michael	Drobes, Dr. David Ph.D.	In Person
02:54:06	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Brown, William	Drobes, Dr. David Ph.D.	In Person
03:02:50	General Case Activities		Drobes, Dr. David Ph.D.	In Person
03:04:27	General Case Activities
03:06:17	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:02:37	Witness Cross Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Chacon, Elsa	In Person
01:21:24	Break
01:35:49	General Case Activities
01:44:12	Witness Cross Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Chacon, Elsa	In Person
02:11:19	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Navarro, Xavier	Chacon, Elsa	In Person
02:22:42	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Chacon, Elsa	In Person
02:25:39	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Navarro, Xavier	Chacon, Elsa	In Person
02:28:00	Witness Direct Examination	Navarro, Xavier	Chacon, Charity	In Person
02:46:09	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:20	Witness Direct Examination	Navarro, Xavier	Chacon, Charity	In Person
00:20:27	Witness Cross Examination	Walden, Michael	Chacon, Charity	In Person
00:28:49	Witness Direct Examination		Chacon, Robel	Video Recording
01:34:38	Break
01:57:02	Witness Direct Examination		Chacon, Robel	Video Recording
02:30:55	Witness Direct Examination		Vellios, Leslie	Transcript Reading
03:21:13	Witness Direct Examination		Campbell, William	Transcript Reading
03:37:39	General Case Activities
03:46:26	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
01:39:29	Break
02:10:08	General Case Activities
02:18:59	Break
02:32:24	General Case Activities
03:10:38	Closing Statement	Reyes, Nick
03:59:20	Break
04:08:38	General Case Activities
04:09:43	Closing Statement	Reyes, Nick
04:23:17	Closing Statement	Baumberger, Charles
04:45:41	General Case Activities
04:46:28	Closing Statement	Baumberger, Charles
04:50:19	General Case Activities
04:53:20	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:52	Closing Statement	Vaughan, Robert
01:42:56	Closing Statement	Reyes, Nick
02:05:51	General Case Activities
02:42:11	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	General Case Activities
		00:06:52	Reading of the Verdict
		00:11:37	General Case Activities
		00:33:59	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:03:02	Opening Statement	Vaughan, Robert
00:58:27	Opening Statement	Reyes, Nick
01:25:19	General Case Activities
01:46:22	Break
02:01:33	General Case Activities
02:29:18	Break
02:39:44	End of Session
03:07:46	General Case Activities

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:59:27	Break
01:19:16	General Case Activities
01:20:44	Witness Direct Examination		Raffa, Dr. Frederick PhD	Video Recording
01:43:58	Witness Direct Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Sherwood, Tim	In Person
02:53:35	General Case Activities
02:55:39	Break
03:13:30	General Case Activities
03:16:30	Witness Direct Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Sherwood, Tim	In Person
04:01:37	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:04:03	Witness Direct Examination	Vaughan, Robert	Sherwood, Tim	In Person
00:19:34	Witness Cross Examination	Reyes, Nick	Sherwood, Tim	In Person
01:07:15	General Case Activities
01:17:01	Break
01:23:00	Closing Statement	Vaughan, Robert
01:59:55	Closing Statement	Reyes, Nick
02:05:33	General Case Activities
02:08:53	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	General Case Activities
		00:00:43	Reading of the Verdict
		00:01:26	General Case Activities
		00:06:21	End of Session