Trials & Litigation
Tobacco Makers Sift Through Thousands of Documents in $1B Hospital Suit
Posted Sep 15, 2008, 11:54 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
A 10-year-old lawsuit filed by Missouri hospitals against cigarette makers seeking $1 billion for the cost of treating tobacco-related illnesses has been stalled in discovery.
The tobacco companies are sifting through tens of thousands of records for indigent patients provided by more than 30 hospitals under a court order, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Daphne O'Connor, vice president and associate general counsel at Altria Client Services, says the cigarette companies have spent nearly $500,000 to comb through the electronic files.
The tobacco makers contend the hospitals “produced everything” regarding indigent patients rather than providing only treatment records for tobacco-related illnesses. Judge Michael David imposed sanctions against seven hospitals for providing the wrong documents and ordered the hospitals to provide only records for smoking-related health problems.
He is also considering whether to grant summary judgment in the case based on motions filed by both sides. If he permits the case to go to trial, jury selection is scheduled for January 2010.