Where the Case Goes from Here

Engle v. R.J. Reynolds et al. won't go on forever, as defense lawyers promise. It couldn't possibly last more than 75 years. Tops.

The Engle case is a class-action suit--the first ever tried against the tobacco industry--which means that the plaintiffs (in this instance, three) sue on behalf of themselves and others, united by a common complaint. The case bears the name of physician Howard Engle, who suffers from emphysema and was originally the lead plaintiff. For the case truly to run its course, say some legal experts, Florida would have to try each of the hundreds of thousands of complainants'...