Teresa Starr Blundell, as Per. Rep. etc. v. Philip Morris USA Inc. and R.J. Reynolds etc.

• Court: District Court of Appeal of Florida
• Decided: September 5, 2016
• Docket: 13-6004
• Status: Published

Opinion

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL FIRST DISTRICT, STATE OF FLORIDA

TERESA STARR BLUNDELL, NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO AS PERSONAL FILE MOTION FOR REHEARING AND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DISPOSITION THEREOF IF FILED ESTATE OF LUCY MAE STARR, CASE NO. 1D13-6004

Appellant,

v.

PHILIP MORRIS USA INC. AND R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO.,

Appellees.

___________________________/

Opinion filed September 6, 2016.

An appeal from the Circuit Court of Duval County. L. Haldane Taylor, Judge.

Angelo M. Patacca, Jr., and Bruce R. Anderson, Jr., of Terrell Hogal Yegelwel, P.A., Jacksonville; John S. Mills and Courtney Brewer of The Mills Firm, P.A., Tallahassee; David J. Sales of David J. Sales, P.A. Jupiter, for Appellant.

Gregory G. Katsas of Jones Day, Washington; Joseph H. Lang, Jr. of Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, P.A., Tampa; Lauren R. Goldman of Mayer Brown LLP, New York, for Appellees.

ON REMAND FROM THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT

PER CURIAM. On direct appeal, we affirmed the trial court’s conclusion that “Engle 1 class

members are prohibited from recovering punitive damages on negligence and strict

liability claims” based on Soffer v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 106 So. 3d 456, 457

(Fla. 1st DCA 2012), which has since been quashed on that point of law. As such, we

remand for reconsideration in light of Soffer v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, Co., 187 So.

3d 1219 (Fla. 2016). See R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Clayton, 193 So. 3d 1088 (Fla.

1st DCA 2016).

REVERSED and REMANDED with instructions.

MAKAR, WINOKUR and WINSOR, JJ., CONCUR.

1 See Engle v. Liggett Group, Inc., 945 So. 2d 1246 (Fla. 2006).