Marvin Allen Manious vs. RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company

Case Background

On March 15, 2022, Plaintiff Marvin Allen Manious and Valerie Manious filed a Product Liability and tobacco lawsuit in the Circuit Court of State of Hawaii (Case number: 3CCV-22-72). Judge Robert Kim and Wendy DeWeese presided over this case.

Cause

Marvin Manious, a lifelong resident of Hawai'i, began smoking KOOL brand cigarettes as a teenager in 1978. He was influenced by aggressive and deceptive marketing campaigns by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Philip Morris USA, and Liggett Group LLC. These companies promoted their "light" and "low tar" cigarettes as safer alternatives, deliberately misleading consumers about the health risks associated with smoking. Marvin relied on these misrepresentations, believing the products to be less harmful. Over nearly four decades, he purchased and consumed these cigarettes, primarily from retailers like Foodland, J. Hara, and Walmart in Hawai'i. The Defendants not only designed and manufactured harmful tobacco products but also targeted young consumers with advertising campaigns that fostered addiction. By the time Marvin quit smoking in 2015, years of exposure to carcinogens had caused irreversible damage, setting the stage for this tobacco lawsuit.

Injuries

Marvin’s prolonged use of cigarettes led to a devastating diagnosis of laryngeal cancer in September 2020. This life-threatening condition was directly linked to the carcinogens and addictive substances intentionally included in the Defendants’ products. The manufactu