US jury clears tobacco giant of lying about dangers of smoking.

(From Agence France Presse)

A US jury cleared tobacco giant Philip Morris of negligence and misrepresentation after a lung cancer victim sued the firm for allegedly misleading him over the dangers of smoking.

The jury in Los Angeles failed to award damages to 64-year-old Frederic Reller, who smoked for nearly 50 years, although the panel did find that his illness was caused by smoking.

But after six days of deliberations, panel said they did not believe Reller's claim that he relied totally on what Philip Morris and the tobacco industry told him about the link between smoking and lung cancer.

Reller, who smoked Philip Morris' Marlboro brand, sued the company in November 2001, about a year after he was diagnosed with cancer, claiming the company misled him about the health risks of cigarettes.

The former smoker had sought damages for medical bills that amounted to 309,849 dollars, plus unspecified damages, in the lawsuit that alleged product liability, misrepresentation and negligence.

But the eight women and four men could not decide on one of seven questions put to them on the verdict form: whether Philip Morris concealed the health risks of smoking. The judge declared a mistrial on that claim.