Shirley B. Baker, Personal Representative of the Estate of Elmer P. Baker v. R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Shirley Baker (“Plaintiff’) sued R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. (“Defendant”) for the death of her husband Elmer Baker (“Mr. Baker”) that was allegedly caused by smoking. In her lawsuit, Plaintiff asserted claims for negligence, strict liability, concealment, and conspiracy. After the jury found Defendant’s actions were not the legal cause of her husband’s death, she argued that under the Florida Supreme Court’s decision in Engle v. Liggett Group, 945 So.2d 1246 (Fla.2006) (hereinafter En-gle III), the jury’s finding that Mr. Baker was a member of the Engle class consequently established the…