The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has affirmed a $6.25 million verdict in a Florida Engle-progeny smoking injury case and reinstated $20.76 million in punitive damages against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Philip Morris USA.

The court rejected the tobacco companies’ appeal of the verdict, reached after a nine-day trial in 2014 in the Middle District of Florida, in favor of Judith Berger, who testified that she started smoking when she was 13. Jurors found her to be 40 percent at fault, reducing her compensatory award to $3.75 million.

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