BAT Industries subsidiary Brown & Williamson Tobacco won the court case

The change of fortunes was welcomed by the industry which is marred by strings of court cases brought both by groups of individual smokers and their families, as well as by government agencies

Many of them have been lost, and many tobacco companies have settled lawsuits out of court.

Suzanne Little had alleged that her husband had been addicted to cigarettes, and that smoking the low-tar, low-nicotine cigarettes Carlton, which were supposed to be safer than other cigarettes, caused his death from lung cancer at the age of 54.

But a jury of nine threw out her claim for compensation brought against the maker of several cigarette brands including Kool, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall, as well as Carlton.

The claim

The claim against Brown & Williamson Tobacco had included just under $1m in compensation for former company executive Mr Little's earnings and to cover medical costs, a claim for unspecified amounts in punitive damages, as well as compensation for pain and suffering.

The tobacco industry is under pressure from court cases

The victory "demonstrates that when presented with the facts, juries continue to favour common-sense findings regarding personal responsibility," said the company's lawyer Gordon Smith.

Brown & Williamson, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco, had been charged with negligence, strict liability, breach of warranty and fraud.

Mr Little had himself sued the company in 1998, but died of lung cancer the following year.

The case was heard in a state where last season's tobacco crop was worth almost $130m.