Fahey v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

4 Mass. L. Rptr. 21
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedJune 12, 1995
DocketNo. CA 927221
StatusPublished

This text of 4 Mass. L. Rptr. 21 (Fahey v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fahey v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 4 Mass. L. Rptr. 21 (Mass. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

Borenstein, J.

Plaintiffs, Richard and Shirley Fahey,3 commenced this litigation in November of 1992 to recover from defendants, Philip Morris, Inc. (“Philip Morris”), R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. (“Reynolds”), The Tobacco Institute, Inc. (‘TI”), and The Council for Tobacco Research — USA, Inc. (“CTR”), for injuries suffered as a result of plaintiff Richard Fahey’s forty years of cigarette smoking. Plaintiffs’ suit contains multiple claims for damages including breach of express warranty, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, failure to warn, defective design, and loss of consortium.

Defendants now move for summary judgment pursuant to Mass.R.Civ.P. 56. Plaintiffs oppose defendants’ motion arguing that genuine issues of material fact exist and that material evidence within the defendants’ exclusive possession and control has been unavailable to plaintiffs. For the reasons set forth below, defendants’ motion for summary judgment is DENIED.

BACKGROUND

The summary judgment record, when considered in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs, the non-moving party, indicates the following.4 Plaintiff Richard Fahey (“Mr. Fahey”) was born on November 7, 1934. Plaintiff Shirley Fahey (“Mrs. Fahey”) was born on December 19, 1935. Plaintiffs met in approximately 1948 and married on September 8, 1957.

Mr. Fahey began smoking as a teenager. From the early 1950s until his death in 1992 Mr. Fahey bought and consumed “Winston” cigarettes, which are manufactured and marketed by defendant Reynolds, and “Marlboro” cigarettes, which are manufactured and marketed by defendant Philip Morris.5 By the late 1950s, Mr. Fahey was smoking one to one and a half packs of cigarettes per day. He smoked his first cigarette as soon as he got up in the morning and would smoke after each meal. Frequently, he would smoke in the middle of the night if he was awakened for some reason.

When he first began smoking, Mr. Fahey would sometimes smoke unfiltered cigarettes. After 1960, however, he smoked primarily filtered cigarettes. Some time later, Mr. Fahey began smoking “light cigarettes,” primarily Winston Lights. For a brief time, Mr. Fahey smoked a pipe. He preferred cigarettes, however, and discontinued smoking the pipe.

[22]*22Mr. Fahey tried to quit smoking many times during the almost four decades he smoked. On several occasions, he tried quitting “cold turkey.” He also sought the help of a hypnotist. During one attempt he used a nicotine patch. Although he was able to quit briefly on several occasions, he always began smoking again, the last time just before his death.

In early 1992 Mr. Fahey was diagnosed with metastatic carcinoma of the hypoglottis with metastases to the lung and lymph nodes. Several of Mr. Fahey’s doctors told plaintiffs that cigarette smoking was the likely cause of his cancer. On December 18, 1992, Mr Fahey died of cancer.

In 1954, various cigarette manufacturers, as well as a number of organizations representing tobacco growers, formed the Tobacco Industry Research Committee, now known as the Council for Tobacco Research-U.S.A. (“CTR”). CTR was created by the tobacco industry to finance research on matters relating to tobacco and health. Over the years, officers and directors of defendants Reynolds and Philip Morris have sat on the board of directors of CTR.

In 1958, members of the tobacco industry, including defendants Reynolds and Philip Morris, organized The Tobacco Institute (“TI”). TI was established to disseminate to the public favorable scientific and medical information about smoking.6 Over the years, officers and directors of defendants Reynolds and Philip Morris have been members of the executive committee of TI.

Since the 1950s, the defendants have been publicly questioning, through lobbying, advertising, and industry-funded research, the link between smoking and human disease.7 Mr. Fahey, an avid reader, read the Boston Globe, as well as other national publications. It was in these types of publications that the defendants disputed the charges that cigarette smoking was hazardous to human health.

DISCUSSION

Summary judgment shall be granted where there are no genuine issues as to any material fact and where the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Cassesso v. Commissioner of Correction, 390 Mass. 419, 422 (1983); Community Nat’l Bank v. Dawes, 369 Mass. 550, 553 (1976); Mass.R.Civ.P. 56 (c). The moving party has the burden of affirmatively demonstrating the absence of a triable issue and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Pederson v. Time, Inc., 404 Mass. 14, 16-17 (1989).

If the party moving for summary judgment does not have the burden of proof at trial, as is the case here, it may demonstrate the absence of a triable issue either by submitting affirmative evidence that negates an essential element of the opponent’s case or “by demonstrating that proof of that element is unlikely to be forthcoming at trial.” Flesner v. Technical Communications Corp., 410 Mass. 805, 809 (1991); accord, Kourouvacilis v. General Motors Corp., 410 Mass. 706, 716 (1991). If, using Mass.R.Civ.P. 56(c) materials, the moving party establishes the absence of a triable issue, the party opposing the motion must allege specific facts which establish the existence of a genuine issue of material fact in order to defeat the motion. Pederson, supra, 404 Mass. at 17. “(T]he opposing party cannot rest on his or her pleadings and mere assertions of disputed facts to defeat the motion of summary judgment.” LaLonde v. Eissner, 405 Mass. 207, 209 (1989).

COUNTS I AND II: BREACH OF WARRANTY

In Counts I and II of their complaint plaintiffs allege that defendants Reynolds and Philip Morris expressly warranted that the consumption of their cigarettes would not be hazardous to human health. According to the plaintiffs, representations made by the defendants became “part of the basis of the bargain” in which Mr. Fahey decided to smoke cigarettes produced by defendants Reynolds and Philip Morris.

Under Massachusetts law, “any affirmation of fact or promise made by the seller to the buyer which relates to the goods and becomes part of the basis of the bargain creates an express warranty that the goods shall conform to the affirmation or promise.” G.L.c. 106, §2-313(l)(a) (West 1990). Additionally, “(a]ny description of the goods which is made part of the basis of the bargain creates an express warranty that the goods shall conform to the description.” G.L.c. 106, §2-313(l)(b) (West 1990).

To create an express warranty it is not necessary that the seller use formal words such as “warrant” or “guarantee” or that the seller have a specific intention to make a warranty. There must be, however, something more than an affirmation of the value of the goods, a statement of the seller’s opinion, or a commendation of the goods. G.L.c. 106, §2-313(2) (West 1990).

The phrase “part of the basis of the bargain” is not defined in the statute, nor has it been interpreted by Massachusetts’ courts.8 Thus, for guidance in interpretation, this Court must look to the language of the statute, the comments to the state and model codes,9 and the case law of other jurisdictions.

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Bluebook (online)
4 Mass. L. Rptr. 21, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fahey-v-rj-reynolds-tobacco-co-masssuperct-1995.