Polish man sues cigarette makers for dlrs 2.5 million (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

Polish man sues cigarette makers for dlrs 2.5 million
by AP World News via NewsEdge
Source: NewsEdge, Wednesday, 8/18/99
        
WARSAW, POLAND - AP World News via NewsEdge Corporation : A man whose
mother died of lung cancer has filed suit against a Philip Morris factory
in Poland and another cigarette maker for dlrs 2.5 million, a judge said
Tuesday.


The lawsuit was filed Aug. 3 with the district court in Krakow, some 300
kilometers (185 miles) south of Warsaw, Judge Andrzej Almert said. He said
he knew of no similar cases in the country.


The plaintiff was identified only as Slawomir L-S., a resident of
Katowice, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Krakow. He blames Philip
Morris Polska S.A., a Polish subsidiary of U.S. giant Philip Morris Inc.,
and Tobacco Industry Works in the central city of Radom for his mother's
death.


Almert said the plaintiff demands 10 million zlotys in compensation,
arguing his mother smoked Marlboro cigarettes as well as Popularne, a
Polish brand made in Radom.


A lawyer for Philip Morris in Warsaw, Robert Wyszynski, said Tuesday the
company hadn't received the lawsuit and couldn't comment.


The court will decide in September whether to proceed with the case. But
Almert was skeptical about the plaintiff's chances of receiving any
compensation.


``I have heard that in the United States people win such cases, but that's
a different law, a different procedure and a different mentality,'' the
judge said. ^(ms-ajs-bh)<