Izzarelli v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
Connecticut Supreme Court
136 A.3d 1232 (2016)
Relevant factsFree
Barbara Izzarelli (plaintiff) sued R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. (defendant) under a products-liability design-defect theory, alleging the company added ingredients and manipulated nicotine levels in its cigarettes in ways that increased her cancer risk, and the Second Circuit certified to the Connecticut Supreme Court the question of whether the Restatement's good-tobacco exception to strict products liability barred recovery for cigarette design-defect claims.
IssueFree
Whether, for products-liability design-defect cases, the default test is the modified consumer-expectation test that weighs the product's risks and utility to determine whether the product's design is unreasonably dangerous.