Vila v. Philip Morris USA Inc.

In this Engle-progeny 1 case, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant, Philip Morris USA Inc. (“Philip Morris”), finding that smoking cigarettes manufactured by Philip Morris was not a legal cause of the plaintiffs, Jose Vila (“Vila”), laryngeal cancer. Thereafter, the trial court entered a final judgment in favor of Philip Morris and denied Vila’s motion for a new trial. Vila has appealed the final judgment and the denial of his motion for a new trial. 2

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Vila testified that he started smoking cigarettes in 1969, when he was approximately fifteen…