The US Supreme Court has thrown out a ruling that Philip Morris, the country's largest cigarette making company, must pay US$ 79.5 million in punitive damages after the death of a smoker.

The narrow verdict is seen as good news for large firms seeking to limit the payouts that can be awarded by juries. The court decided 5-to-4 that the earlier ruling must be overturned. It said the jury had not been told that it could only fine the firm for harm done to the plaintiff, not to other smokers whose cases were not before it. (pi)