Carolina Personal Injury News

North Carolina Family Wins $5 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Posted on Dec 29, 2010

A North Carolina widow has won a $5 million settlement against a smokeless tobacco company five years after her husband died of tongue cancer from using their dangerous products. While wrongful death suits against tobacco companies are nothing new, this successful large settlement from a tobacco chew company is certainly notable and may open the door for similar wrongful death cases. Lawsuits involving cigarette smoking have been successful in the past, but this is the first smokeless tobacco case to end in a victory for the cancer victim’s family.

Bobby Hill of Canton, North Carolina, began using smokeless tobacco at the age of 13. He died at the age of 42 from tongue cancer, for which he endured several painful operations before his death to remove his tongue and part of his mouth. In 2005, Bobby’s wife, Kelly, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the maker of the products that her husband used for decades, US Smokeless Tobacco Company.

During the case, evidence was brought to light that the company had sent letters and free samples to children during the 1980s that encouraged their use of the product – one document showed the company sending a can opener to one young user.

A spokesman for the US Smokeless Tobacco Company said that it supports programs that reduce the use of their products by those who are underage. Opponents of the company say that their product is just as dangerous as cigarette smoke, with users often dying of mouth and tongue cancer that leads to disfigurement and painful treatments. Opponents also claim that the company markets their products to seem safer than smoking cigarettes.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and we have experience handling wrongful death cases. We serve every area of North Carolina, including the Outer Banks, Nags Head and the western mountains, as well as all the cities and counties in between. In South Carolina, we cover the state from Myrtle Beach and Charleston to Orangeburg, Columbia, Florence, Rock Hill, Darlington, Aiken, Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008 and listed in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. Our North Carolina injury law firm has also been named one of the Best Injury Law Firms in North Carolina for personal injury plaintiffs since 2010 by U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, our firm has the highest rating of AV from national lawyer ranking organization Martindale-Hubbell. That means we have a reputation for demonstrating preeminent legal skill.

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer free initial confidential injury case consultations. So call us toll-free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can return your call promptly.