Sheffield v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

Summary

In this tobacco litigation proceeding, plaintiff claims defendant's concealment of smoking's risks led to nicotine addiction and smoking-related disease.

Outcome

Phase 1 - Verdict is for the Plaintiff: $1.8million

% of Fault: R.J. Reynolds: 60%
Valton Sheffield: 40%

Phase 2 - Jury has reached a verdict for Punitive Damages:

$5-million

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Sheffield, Mary
Defense: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
Verdict: $6,800,000

Judge: Julie O'Kane
Jurisdiction: 9th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Court: Orange County Courthouse

Case Number: 2013-CA-009469
Industry: Tobacco
Practice Area: Tobacco, Products Liability

Plaintiff

Sheffield, Mary

Represented By:
Wright, Melvin (Colling Gilbert Wright & Carter)
Sales, David (Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA)

Defense

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

Expert Witnesses

Lay Witnesses

Sessions

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

AM Session

Openings

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:37:13	Break
00:52:47	General Case Activities
01:10:47	Opening Statement	Wright, Melvin
02:39:38	Break
02:49:53	Opening Statement	Baker, Emily
03:59:08	General Case Activities
04:01:10	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

4 Chapters

MAY

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

MAY

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

MAY

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

MAY

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

4 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

12 Chapters

MAY

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

MAY

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

12 Chapters

MAY

AM Session

Closings

11 Chapters

MAY

PM Session

Verdict

3 Chapters

MAY

AM Session

Defense Witness(es) - Damages

14 Chapters

PM Session

Closings - Damages

5 Chapters

PM Session

Verdict - Damages

3 Chapters

MAY

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:24	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
01:34:02	Break
01:49:03	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
02:33:29	Break
02:40:12	Witness Cross Examination	Williams, Jack	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
03:37:39	General Case Activities
03:54:47	Break
04:11:21	General Case Activities
04:27:49	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:10:15	Witness Cross Examination	Williams, Jack	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
01:50:09	Break
02:16:19	Witness Cross Examination	Williams, Jack	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
03:21:43	General Case Activities
03:23:25	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:44:30	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
01:27:16	Break
01:35:15	General Case Activities
01:50:49	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
02:10:54	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Williams, Jack	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
02:15:48	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:48:16	Break
02:49:05	General Case Activities		Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
03:43:41	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:11	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:14:01	Break
01:29:49	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
02:52:32	Break
03:02:58	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:46:30	General Case Activities
03:59:30	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
00:16:48	Witness Cross Examination	Baker, Emily	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:26:55	Break
01:43:36	Witness Cross Examination	Baker, Emily	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:15:24	General Case Activities
03:21:32	Break
03:42:08	General Case Activities
04:01:38	Witness Cross Examination	Baker, Emily	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
04:10:38	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Sales, David	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
04:45:33	General Case Activities		Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
04:51:44	General Case Activities
04:53:30	End of Session

Sheffield v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

Summary

Outcome

Sessions

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:14:50	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
01:59:27	General Case Activities
02:18:15	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:20:51	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
01:56:12	Break
02:09:23	General Case Activities
02:10:56	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Burns, Dr. David , M.D.	In Person
03:24:05	General Case Activities
03:25:11	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:33:24	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
01:58:06	Break
02:15:23	General Case Activities
02:16:31	Witness Direct Examination	Sales, David	Proctor, Dr. Robert , Ph.D.	In Person
03:28:59	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	General Case Activities
		00:18:43	Break
		00:24:04	General Case Activities
		01:38:19	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:04:00	Witness Direct Examination	Wright, Melvin	Borgerding, Dr. Michael	Video Recording
00:20:53	Witness Direct Examination	Wright, Melvin	Sheffield, Valton Jr.	In Person
01:10:54	Witness Cross Examination	Williams, Jack	Sheffield, Valton Jr.	In Person
02:02:01	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Wright, Melvin	Sheffield, Valton Jr.	In Person
02:19:00	Break
02:32:26	General Case Activities
02:33:19	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Wright, Melvin	Sheffield, Valton Jr.	In Person
02:34:03	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Williams, Jack	Sheffield, Valton Jr.	In Person
02:43:53	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:03:22	General Case Activities	Sales, David
00:05:31	Witness Direct Examination	Wright, Melvin	Sheffield, Mary	In Person
00:50:36	Witness Cross Examination	Baker, Emily	Sheffield, Mary	In Person
01:26:15	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Wright, Melvin	Sheffield, Mary	In Person
01:27:06	Break
01:37:48	General Case Activities
02:22:17	Break
02:33:20	General Case Activities
04:59:02	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:24:36	Break
00:28:50	Witness Direct Examination	Wright, Melvin	Sellers, Judith	Transcript Reading
01:08:19	Witness Direct Examination	Wright, Melvin	Figlar, Dr. James Ph.D.	Video Recording
01:46:14	Break
02:05:56	Witness Direct Examination	Wright, Melvin	Figlar, Dr. James Ph.D.	Video Recording
03:08:25	General Case Activities
03:19:13	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	General Case Activities
		00:37:40	Break
		00:44:54	General Case Activities
		00:47:27	General Case Activities
		00:52:31	Break
		00:55:20	General Case Activities
		01:27:51	Break
		02:07:16	General Case Activities
		02:30:03	Break
		02:32:38	General Case Activities
		02:57:09	General Case Activities
		03:01:44	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:17:07	General Case Activities
00:19:27	Closing Statement	Wright, Melvin
01:49:54	Break
02:04:01	General Case Activities
02:17:08	Closing Statement	Baker, Emily
04:09:41	Break
04:15:22	General Case Activities
04:20:35	Closing Statement	Sales, David
05:18:54	General Case Activities
05:36:30	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	Reading of the Verdict
		00:03:27	General Case Activities
		00:05:14	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:21:49	General Case Activities
00:25:00	Opening Statement	Wright, Melvin
00:33:25	Opening Statement	Baker, Emily
00:40:34	General Case Activities	Sales, David
00:50:26	Break
01:07:24	General Case Activities
01:11:52	Witness Direct Examination	Williams, Jack	Garner, Charles	In Person
03:07:03	Break
03:21:40	General Case Activities
03:27:10	Witness Cross Examination	Sales, David	Garner, Charles	In Person
04:29:09	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Williams, Jack	Garner, Charles	In Person
04:35:16	General Case Activities
04:36:41	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	Reading of the Verdict
		00:01:12	General Case Activities
		00:03:23	End of Session