RJ Reynolds Tobacco (RJRT) was held responsible in the death of a smoker by a Florida jury that awarded the widower nearly USD 29 million (EUR 26.6 million) in damages, the Winston-Salem Journal reported.

It was one of the largest awards in recent years made in an Engle case, under which evidence from a decertified class-action suit can be used to pursue individual damage claims in the state of Florida, the newspaper said. The class action bore the name of Howard Engle, a deceased Florida physician.
Alan Konzelman was awarded USD 8.8 million in compensatory and USD 20 million in punitive damages for the smoking-related death of his spouse, Elaine Konzelman, the Journal said. The award was about USD 9 million more than Konzelman’s attorney had requested, the Journal said. RJRT is a subsidiary of Reynolds American.