Henley v. Philip Morris, Inc.

Henley (plaintiff) began smoking Marlboro cigarettes at 15, became addicted, smoked for 35 years, and developed lung cancer. She sued Philip Morris (defendant), presenting evidence the company had long deceived the public about cigarettes' dangers, targeted advertising at teenagers, and failed to warn of known dangers including addictiveness. The jury awarded compensatory and substantial punitive damages, and Philip Morris challenged the punitive award as excessive.

Whether the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits arbitrary or grossly excessive punitive-damages awards against a tortfeasor.