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Madison Co. Class Action Lawsuit Numbers Up in 2003

Madison County Courthouse (KWMU photo)
Madison County Courthouse (KWMU photo)

By AP/KWMU

Edwardsville, Ill. – The number of class-action lawsuits filed in Madison County, Ill. continues to rise. In 2003, there were 106 class-actions filed in the Metro-East circuit. That's more than the 77 that were filed in 2002, and the 43 filed the year before.

Class-actions are filed on behalf of a large group of people and typically involve allegations of misconduct against a product, company or service.

Lawyers say the county attracts such a large number of class actions because it has developed a pro-plaintiff reputation.

The suit that gained the most attention in 2003 in the County was against Philip Morris. A Madison County judge ordered the company to pay $10.1 billion to Illinois smokers. That judgment is being appealed.

The lawsuit stemmed from the company's marketing of its "light" brands of cigarettes.

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