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Contingencies (Tables)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Schedule of Contingencies
Currently Pending Engle Cases with Accrued Liabilities
(rounded to nearest $ million)

Plaintiff
Verdict Date
Defendant(s)
Court
Compensatory Damages (All Defendants)
Punitive Damages (PM USA)
Appeal Status
Accrual(1)
Berger (Cote)
September 2014
PM USA
Federal Court - Middle District of Florida
$6 million
$21 million
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the punitive and compensatory damages awards and remanded the case to the district court. PM USA’s challenge to the punitive damages award in the district court is pending.
$6 million accrual in the fourth quarter of 2018
(1)Accrual amounts include interest and associated costs, if applicable. For cases with multiple defendants, if any, accrual amounts reflect the portion of compensatory damages PM USA believes it will have to pay if the case is ultimately decided in plaintiff’s favor after taking into account any portion potentially payable by the other defendant(s).
Other Currently Pending Engle Cases with Verdicts Against PM USA
(rounded to nearest $ million)

Plaintiff
Verdict Date
Defendant(s)
Court
Compensatory Damages(1)
Punitive Damages
(PM USA)
Appeal Status
McCall
March 2019
PM USA
Broward
<$1 million (<$1 million PM USA)
<$1 million
New trial ordered on punitive damages.
Neff
March 2019
PM USA and R.J. Reynolds
Broward
$4 million
$2 million
Post-trial motions pending.
Frogel
March 2019
PM USA
Palm Beach
<$1 million (<$1 million PM USA)
$0
Post-trial motions pending.
Mahfuz
February 2019
PM USA and R.J. Reynolds
Broward
$12 million
$10 million
Post-trial motions pending.
Holliman
February 2019
PM USA
Miami-Dade
$3 million
$0
Post-trial motions pending.
Other Currently Pending Engle Cases with Verdicts Against PM USA
(rounded to nearest $ million)

Plaintiff
Verdict Date
Defendant(s)
Court
Compensatory Damages(1)
Punitive Damages
(PM USA)
Appeal Status
Chadwell
September 2018
PM USA
Miami-Dade
$2 million
$0
Appeals by plaintiff and defendant to Third District Court of Appeal pending.

Kaplan
July 2018
PM USA and R.J. Reynolds
Broward
$2 million
$2 million
Appeals by plaintiff and defendants to Fourth District Court of Appeal pending.
Landi
June 2018
PM USA and R.J. Reynolds
Broward
$8 million
$5 million
Appeals by plaintiff and defendants to Fourth District Court of Appeal pending.
Theis
May 2018
PM USA and R.J. Reynolds
Sarasota
$7 million
$10 million
Defendants’ appeal to Second District Court of Appeal pending.
Freeman
March 2018
PM USA
Alachua
$4 million
$0
Defendant’s appeal to First District Court of Appeal pending.
Gloger
February 2018
PM USA and R.J. Reynolds
Miami-Dade
$8 million
$5 million
Third District Court of Appeal reversed judgment and ordered a new trial; plaintiff’s motion for rehearing pending.
Bryant
December 2017
PM USA
Escambia
<$1 million
<$1 million
Defendant’s appeal to First District Court of Appeal pending.
R. Douglas
November 2017
PM USA
Duval
<$1 million
$0
Awaiting entry of final judgment by the trial court.
Wallace
October 2017
PM USA and R.J. Reynolds
Brevard
$12 million
$16 million
Fifth District Court of Appeal affirmed trial court judgment.
Sommers
April 2017
PM USA
Miami-Dade
$1 million
$0
New trial ordered on punitive damages; appeals by plaintiff and defendant to Third District Court of Appeal pending.
Santoro
March 2017
PM USA, R.J. Reynolds and Liggett Group
Broward
$2 million
$0
Trial court set aside punitive damages award; appeals by plaintiff and defendants to Fourth District Court of Appeal pending.
Cooper
September 2015
PM USA and R.J. Reynolds
Broward
$5 million
(<$1 million PM USA)
$0
Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed judgment and granted a new trial on punitive damages.
McCoy
July 2015
PM USA,
R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard
Broward
$2 million
(<$1 million PM USA)
$3 million
Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed judgment and ordered a new trial; plaintiff requested review by the Florida Supreme Court; case currently stayed.
D. Brown
January 2015
PM USA
Federal Court - Middle District of Florida
$8 million
$9 million
Appeal to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit pending.
Kerrivan
October 2014
PM USA and R.J. Reynolds
Federal Court - Middle District of Florida
$16 million
$16 million
Appeals by plaintiff and defendants to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit pending.
Harris
July 2014
PM USA,
R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard
Federal Court - Middle District of Florida
$2 million (<$ 1 million PM USA)
$0
Awaiting entry of amended final judgment applying comparative fault.
(1)PM USA’s portion of the compensatory damages award is noted parenthetically where the court has ruled that comparative fault applies.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Engle Cases Concluded Within Past 12 Months
(rounded to nearest $ million)

Plaintiff
Verdict Date
Defendant(s)
Court
Accrual Date
Payment Amount (if any)
Payment Date
J. Brown
February 2017
PM USA and R.J. Reynolds
Pinellas
First quarter of 2019
$4 million
April 2019
L. Martin
May 2017
PM USA
Miami-Dade
First quarter of 2019
$2 million
April 2019
Danielson
November 2015
PM USA
Escambia
First quarter of 2019
$3 million
March 2019
S. Martin
November 2016
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Broward
First quarter of 2019
$5 million
March 2019
Searcy
April 2013
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Federal Court - Middle District of Florida
Third quarter of 2018
$2 million
March 2019
Boatright
November 2014
PM USA and Liggett Group
Polk
Second quarter of 2018
$42 million
March 2019
M. Brown
May 2015
PM USA
Duval
Second quarter of 2018
$8 million
March 2019
Jordan
August 2015
PM USA
Duval
Second quarter of 2018
$11 million
March 2019
Pardue
December 2016
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Alachua
Second and Third quarters of 2018
$11 million
March 2019
McKeever
February 2015
PM USA
Broward
Fourth quarter of 2017
$21 million
March 2019
Boulter
December 2018
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Lee
Fourth quarter of 2018
<$1 million
January 2019
Simon
September 2018
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Broward
Fourth quarter of 2018
<$1 million
October 2018
Perrotto
November 2014
PM USA,
R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard
Palm Beach
Third quarter of 2018
$1 million
September 2018
Gore
March 2015
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Indian River
First quarter of 2018
$1 million
September 2018
Putney
April 2010
PM USA,
R.J. Reynolds and
Liggett Group
Broward
Third quarter of 2018
$5 million
September 2018
Sermons
July 2016
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Duval
Third quarter of 2018
<$1 million
August 2018
Tognoli
November 2015
PM USA
Broward
Fourth quarter of 2017
$1 million
May 2018
Howles
November 2016
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Broward
First quarter of 2018
$6 million
May 2018
Purdo
April 2016
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Palm Beach
First quarter of 2018
$10 million
May 2018
Griffin
June 2014
PM USA
Federal Court - Middle District of Florida
Second quarter of 2017
$1 million
May 2018
Ledoux
December 2015
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Miami-Dade
Fourth quarter of 2017
$20 million
May 2018
Burkhart
May 2014
PM USA,
R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard
Federal Court - Middle District of Florida
Second quarter of 2018
$2 million
May 2018
Engle Cases Concluded Within Past 12 Months
(rounded to nearest $ million)

Plaintiff
Verdict Date
Defendant(s)
Court
Accrual Date
Payment Amount (if any)
Payment Date
Barbose
November 2015
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Pasco
Fourth quarter of 2017
$12 million
May 2018
Allen
November 2014
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Duval
First quarter of 2018
$10 million
May 2018
Ahrens
February 2016
PM USA and
R.J. Reynolds
Pinellas
Fourth quarter of 2017
$7 million
May 2018

The table below lists the number of certain tobacco-related cases pending in the United States against PM USA and, in some instances, Altria as of April 22, 2019, April 23, 2018 and April 27, 2017:
 
April 22, 2019
 
April 23, 2018
 
April 27, 2017
Individual Smoking and Health Cases (1)
98
 
102
 
80
Smoking and Health Class Actions and Aggregated Claims Litigation (2)
2
 
4
 
5
Health Care Cost Recovery Actions (3)
1
 
1
 
1
“Lights/Ultra Lights” Class Actions
2
 
3
 
5
(1) Includes 29 cases filed in Massachusetts and 38 non-Engle cases filed in Florida. Does not include individual smoking and health cases brought by or on behalf of plaintiffs in Florida state and federal courts following the decertification of the Engle case (these Engle progeny cases are discussed below in Smoking and Health Litigation - Engle Class Action). Also does not include 1,490 cases brought by flight attendants seeking compensatory damages for personal injuries allegedly caused by exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (“ETS”). The flight attendants allege that they are members of an ETS smoking and health class action in Florida, which was settled in 1997 (Broin). The terms of the court-approved settlement in that case allowed class members to file individual lawsuits seeking compensatory damages, but prohibited them from seeking punitive damages. In March 2018, 923 of these cases were voluntarily dismissed without prejudice.
(2) The 2017 pending cases include as one case the 30 civil actions that were to be tried in six consolidated trials in West Virginia (In re: Tobacco Litigation). PM USA was a defendant in nine of the 30 cases. The parties resolved these cases for an immaterial amount and in the second quarter of 2018, the court dismissed all 30 cases.
(3) See Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation - Federal Government’s Lawsuit below.The changes in Altria’s accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items, including related interest costs, for the periods specified below are as follows:
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2019
 
2018
 
 
(in millions)
Accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items at beginning of period (1)
$
112

 
$
106

 
Pre-tax charges for:
 
 
 
 
Tobacco and health litigation
15

 
24

 
Related interest costs
2

 
4

 
Payments (1)
(109
)
 
(23
)
 
Accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items at end of period (1)
$
20

 
$
111

 
(1) Includes amounts related to the costs of implementing the corrective communications remedy related to the Federal Government’s Lawsuit discussed below.