Massachusetts Jury Rejects Claim Against Cigarette Maker

A Massachusetts jury has found that Phillip Morris Inc. was not responsible for the death of a longtime smoker whose family claimed the company’s cigarettes could have been made safer.

The Worcester Superior Court jury returned its verdict Thursday after hearing three weeks of testimony and deliberating over three days.

The family of Stephen Haglund of Douglas filed the lawsuit in 2001, the year after he died of lung cancer at age 51.

The lawsuit said Phillip Morris should have used technology to remove nicotine from cigarettes to make them safer and less addictive. The company’s attorney said that the technology, solvent extraction, did not remove all nicotine, and would not remove carcinogens.

An attorney for the family, Michael Weisman, tells the Telegram & Gazette there are issues to consider for an appeal.