Dixon v. R.J. Reynolds

Summary

In this tobacco case, plaintiff claims defendant concealed the dangers of smoking, leading to addiction and disease.

Outcome

Verdict Phase 1

Percentage of fault:

60% - RJR
40% - Dixon

Damages:

$500,000 PLUS $4,045,000 for Frances Bessent-Dixon
$170,000 PLUS $2,045,000 for Bianca Dixon
$170,000 PLUS $2,045,000 for Tyrone Dixon Jr.

Verdict Phase 2:

punitive damages: $25,748,176

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Aug 9, 2018

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Feb 8, 2019

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Bessent-Dixon, Frances
Defense: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
Verdict: $34,723,176

Judge: Donna Keim
Jurisdiction: 8th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Court: Alachua Family / Civil Justice Center

Case Number: 2015-CA-002554
Industry: Tobacco
Practice Area: Tobacco

Plaintiff

Bessent-Dixon, Frances

Represented By:
Smith, Rodney (Avera & Smith)

Defense

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

Represented By:
Henninger, Ursula (King & Spalding, LLP)

Expert Witnesses

Lay Witnesses

Sessions

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

PM Session

Openings

7 Chapters

	Description	Attorney
00:00:28	General Case Activities
00:13:45	Opening Statement	Smith, Rodney
01:27:23	Break
01:45:15	Opening Statement	Henninger, Ursula
01:53:55	Opening Statement	Lewis, Antonio
03:01:33	General Case Activities
03:03:56	End of Session

APR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

APR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

4 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:09:57	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
01:37:05	Break
01:54:00	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
03:19:05	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

APR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

4 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:12:57	Witness Cross Examination	Henninger, Ursula	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
01:41:32	Break
02:05:02	Witness Cross Examination	Henninger, Ursula	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
03:12:45	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:03:50	Witness Cross Examination	Henninger, Ursula	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
00:16:05	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
00:53:15	Break
01:06:15	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
01:25:10	General Case Activities		Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
01:33:00	Witness Direct Examination		Mendenhall, Dr. William MD	Transcript Reading
02:10:45	Break
02:15:26	Witness Direct Examination		Rodgers, Dr. Lawrence JR, MD	Transcript Reading
03:21:20	End of Session

APR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:03:30	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Riggs, Dr. Charles Jr., M.D.	In Person
01:01:10	Witness Cross Examination	Bell, Drew	Riggs, Dr. Charles Jr., M.D.	In Person
01:33:20	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Riggs, Dr. Charles Jr., M.D.	In Person
01:43:00	General Case Activities
01:54:42	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:04:00	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Hurt, Dr. Richard M.D.	In Person
02:03:05	Break
02:35:50	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Hurt, Dr. Richard M.D.	In Person
03:36:09	Witness Cross Examination	Lewis, Antonio	Hurt, Dr. Richard M.D.	In Person
04:14:14	Break
04:24:45	Witness Cross Examination	Lewis, Antonio	Hurt, Dr. Richard M.D.	In Person
04:57:45	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Hurt, Dr. Richard M.D.	In Person
05:06:47	General Case Activities		Hurt, Dr. Richard M.D.	In Person
05:12:15	End of Session

APR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

11 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:05:00	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Harris, Dr. Michael MD	In Person
00:28:47	Witness Cross Examination	Lewis, Antonio	Harris, Dr. Michael MD	In Person
00:52:38	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Harris, Michael	In Person
00:56:17	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Dixon, Tyrone JR	In Person
01:15:15	Break
01:36:25	Witness Direct Examination	Vallejos-Nichols, Dawn	Dixon, Bianca	In Person
01:52:52	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Bessent-Dixon, Frances	In Person
02:42:00	Witness Cross Examination	Lewis, Antonio	Bessent-Dixon, Frances	In Person
03:06:00	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Bessent-Dixon, Frances	In Person
03:09:30	General Case Activities		Bessent-Dixon, Frances	In Person
03:13:20	End of Session

APR

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

5 Chapters

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

10 Chapters

APR

AM Session

Closings

9 Chapters

PM Session

Verdict

3 Chapters

APR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es) - Damages

10 Chapters

PM Session

Closings - Damages

10 Chapters

PM Session

Verdict - Damages

3 Chapters

APR

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

Dixon v. R.J. Reynolds

Summary

Outcome

Sessions

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:22:04	General Case Activities
00:31:22	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
01:45:15	Break
02:04:34	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
03:24:34	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:08:14	General Case Activities
00:16:24	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
01:39:55	Break
02:03:44	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
03:42:39	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:04:38	General Case Activities
00:06:53	Witness Direct Examination	Smith, Rodney	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
01:38:42	Break
02:02:27	General Case Activities
02:03:46	Witness Cross Examination	Henninger, Ursula	Cummings, Dr. Kenneth "Michael" Ph.D.	In Person
03:35:19	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:20:30	General Case Activities
00:23:00	Witness Direct Examination	Leach, Eric	Raffa, Dr. Frederick PhD	Video Conference
00:55:12	Witness Direct Examination		Hamilton , Donald	Transcript Reading
02:33:25	Break
02:50:40	Witness Direct Examination		Larkins, Alicia	Transcript Reading
03:14:47	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:02:51	General Case Activities
00:17:12	Witness Direct Examination	Bell, Drew	Ford, Dr. William M.D	In Person
01:42:42	Break
01:59:45	Witness Cross Examination	Whitman, Joshua	Ford, Dr. William M.D	In Person
02:58:23	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:08:27	General Case Activities
00:10:30	Witness Cross Examination	Whitman, Joshua	Ford, Dr. William M.D	In Person
00:47:25	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Bell, Drew	Ford, Dr. William M.D	In Person
01:15:40	General Case Activities
01:36:00	Break
01:52:05	Witness Direct Examination		Jones, Raymond	Transcript Reading
03:05:00	General Case Activities	Leach, Eric
03:09:35	Break
03:20:25	General Case Activities
03:58:45	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:08:30	General Case Activities
00:10:36	Closing Statement	Smith, Rodney
01:29:15	Break
01:40:25	Closing Statement	Henninger, Ursula
02:03:37	Closing Statement	Lewis, Antonio
03:05:20	Break
03:17:00	Closing Statement	Smith, Rodney
03:47:50	General Case Activities
04:40:56	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:03:58	Reading of the Verdict
		00:10:20	General Case Activities
		00:11:50	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:04:30	General Case Activities
00:07:45	Opening Statement	Smith, Rodney
00:12:40	Opening Statement	Lewis, Antonio
00:22:37	Witness Direct Examination	Leach, Eric	Raffa, Dr. Frederick PhD	In Person
01:02:00	Witness Cross Examination	Bell, Drew	Raffa, Dr. Frederick PhD	In Person
01:46:27	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Leach, Eric	Raffa, Dr. Frederick PhD	In Person
01:52:30	Break
02:06:40	General Case Activities
02:08:05	Witness Direct Examination	Henninger, Ursula	Garner, Charles	In Person
02:57:36	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:25	Witness Direct Examination	Henninger, Ursula	Garner, Charles	In Person
00:55:15	Witness Cross Examination	Smith, Rodney	Garner, Charles	In Person
01:36:04	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Henninger, Ursula	Garner, Charles	In Person
01:47:58	General Case Activities
01:53:18	Break
02:13:40	Closing Statement	Smith, Rodney
02:20:05	Closing Statement	Henninger, Ursula
02:25:30	Closing Statement	Smith, Rodney
02:27:40	General Case Activities
02:43:25	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:02:40	Reading of the Verdict
		00:05:45	General Case Activities
		00:07:14	End of Session