An LA jury gave a smoker with lung cancer an award of a gazillion dollars. Informed that there was no such thing as a 'gazillion', the jury settled on $28 Billion. (Billion with a B)

The interesting thing is that the award was broken down into $750,000 in damages, $100,000 for pain and suffering, and $28 Billion in 'punitive' damages. While the absurd award will most certainly be overturned on appeal, the awarding of punitive damages in the neighborhood of 33,000 times the regular award illustrates just how smoker-unfriendly the People's Republic of California really is.

I obviously never have to worry about being placed on such a jury. Call me unsypathetic, call me an asshole, but the fact remains that the plaintiff knew about the dangers of smoking. No way in hell would I award her a dime. A kick in the pants and an 'I told you so' are long past due from her doctors and children, all of whom pleaded with her to quit. Her claim that she was mislead into believe smoking was perfectly harmless is total bullshit and everyone knows it.