Leslie Thayer

Leslie Thayer was the Deceased Plaintiff in the case of Thayer v. Liggett & Myers.

An article from the November 19, 1969 Grand Rapids (Michigan) Press describes how the Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company (L&M) tried to block the use of a death certificate as a foundation for medical testimony linking smoking to a fatal lung cancer in a deceased father of four. L&M was facing a $750,000 damage claim alleging that Mr. Leslie Thayer died from lung cancer caused by 30 years of smoking Chesterfield cigarettes, an L&M product. One of the Liggett attorney's arguments before the jury to exclude the death certificate information, before the judge quickly stopped him, was that "the industry supplies 314,000 jobs and contributes $4 billion annually to the economy."

Sourcewatch resources

 * Tobacco industry position on indicating tobacco use on death certificates

External resources

 * Trial testimony of GERALDINE THAYER, November 18, 1969, THAYER v. LIGGETT & MYERS TOBACCO CO., November 18, 1969