On June 1st, The Courts of Quebec ordered three cigarette manufacturers to pay 15.5 billion dollars in damages to more than one million victims of tobacco in Quebec, a new record in Canada. The three multinationals convicted, Imperial Tobacco Canada, Rothmans Benson & Hedges and Japan Tobacco International, immediately challenged the verdict of Justice Brian Riordan, who had been seized as part of the two class actions. This historic judgment is able to finally conclude seventeen years of court proceedings.
The judge identified four main accusations against the tobacco companies, including a breach in the general responsibility not to cause harm to others, and a duty to inform its customers of the risks and dangers of its products. Both class actions grouped in close to 1.02 million Quebecers, some of whom have been smokers since the 1960s.
“In the near fifty year period covered by this class action, and during the seventeen years that followed, companies have made billions of dollars in expense from medical bills pertaining to the lungs, throats and the general well-being of their customers,” said Riordan J. River in a judgment of 276 pages.
The magistrate also ordered the tobacco companies to begin the payment of damages and interest that the case be appealed or not. The three companies will thus pay more than 1 billion Canadian dollars by the end of July.
“Adult consumers and the government were aware of the risks of smoking for decades,” replied the Canadian branch of Imperial Tobacco, saying in a statement Monday that the ruling “seeks to provide adult consumers any responsibility for their actions.” Of the $15.5 billion in damages, the Imperial Tobacco Group payed the bulk, with 10.5 billion.
“We believe that there are strong grounds to appeal this ruling,” said Tamara Gitto, vice president of Imperial Tobacco Canada, announcing the intention to seize the cigarette Quebec Court of Appeal. The new legal sequence that opens with the appeal of tobacco could take several years, depending on the Supreme Court.