Husband's Death Worth $3.8M, Says Economist Testifying in Tobacco Suit

The widow of a longtime smoker sustained about $3.8 million in lost household income as a result of her late husband's death from lung cancer, an economist testified today in trial of the Southland woman's negligence suit against Lorillard Tobacco Co.

James Mills said William "Earl" Major, who was retired from military service at the time of his death 16 years ago this Saturday at age 55, likely would have lived until age 80 if he did not have cancer.

Mills said the former Navy captain was working in an executive position in the quality control division of Allied Signal Inc., which merged in 1999 with Honeywell Inc., when he died.

Testimony in the Los Angeles Superior Court trial of the lawsuit filed in November 2011 by his widow, Tajie Major of Palos Verdes Estates, is in its second week.

The lawsuit alleges Lorillard Tobacco put sales over safety in marketing its cigarettes, a strategy that the plaintiff's lawyers say contributed to the death of her spouse. Major testified that her husband smoked three brands of cigarettes, including Lorillard-manufactured Kent.

Lorillard attorney Carl Rowley countered that the 69-year-old Major's late husband knew from the time he was a young man that cigarette smoking could possibly affect health, and that every pack he smoked had a warning label on it.

Mills told jurors that William Major had a six-figure income at Allied Signal that was rising steadily. He also had a substantial Navy pension and could have collected Social Security when he retired, Mills said.

Defense attorneys maintain Major was not entitled to some of the benefits named by Mills and that he should not have included them in his calculations.

Jason Rose, one of Major's attorneys, said a suggested amount to compensate her for pain and suffering from her husband's death will be presented to jurors during closing arguments next week.

The Majors were married for 21 years. She has two daughters from a previous marriage.

--City News Service