Insolia v. Philip Morris, Inc.

Insolia, Mays, and Lovejoy (plaintiffs), former smokers with lung cancer, sued major cigarette manufacturers and trade groups (defendants) alleging an industry-wide conspiracy to deceive smokers about smoking's dangers, joining their claims under Rule 20. The plaintiffs began smoking at different ages (Insolia notably before the defendants' alleged propaganda campaign even began), smoked different brands, quit for different reasons, and at least one plaintiff, Mays, had evidence suggesting his cancer arose from an unrelated work accident rather than smoking. The defendants moved to sever the claims as insufficiently related.