10 Famous, Controversial Lawsuits

Bangalore: There have been plentiful of high profile class action lawsuits over the years, several concerning securities fraud. But other famed class action lawsuits relate to pharmaceutical drugs, credit card abuses, and dangerous or unhealthy products.

Listed are the top 10 class action lawsuits either won, settled or pending and in terms of damages sought as assembled by LawInfo.com. 

Master Tobacco Settlement

Status: Settled 1998
Amount: $206 billion over 25 years

Attorney General of every individual state filed suit against each of the top six tobacco companies in state court. To resolve the individual suits, tobacco companies Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Philip Morris Incorporated, Lorillard Tobacco Company, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Commonwealth Tobacco, and Liggett & Myers stepped into a joint settlement.

The individual lawsuits were filed under the different states’ consumer protection and anti-trust laws for the revival of smoking-related health care costs covered by each state under their Medicare or Medicaid programs, and to implement laws designed to decrease smoking by those less than 18 years of age. The settlement agreement released the tobacco companies from further litigation in state courts.