Contingencies (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Contingencies

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The changes in Altria Group, Inc.’s accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items, including related interest costs, for the periods specified below are as follows:

	For the Nine Months Ended September 30,						For the Three Months Ended  September 30,
	2017			2016			2017		2016
	(in millions)
Accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items at beginning of period	$	47		$	132		$	47	$	30
Pre-tax charges for:
Tobacco and health judgments	16			5			—		—
Related interest costs	2			6			—		—
Agreement to resolve Aspinall including related interest costs	—			32			—		—
Agreement to resolve Miner	—			45			—		45
Payments	(18		)	(145		)	—		—
Accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items at end of period	$	47		$	75		$	47	$	75

The table below lists the number of certain tobacco-related cases pending in the United States against PM USA and, in some instances, Altria Group, Inc. as of October 23, 2017, October 24, 2016 and October 26, 2015:

	October 23, 2017	October 24, 2016	October 26, 2015
Individual Smoking and Health Cases (1)	87	66	65
Smoking and Health Class Actions and Aggregated Claims Litigation (2)	4	5	5
Health Care Cost Recovery Actions (3)	1	1	1
“Lights/Ultra Lights” Class Actions	4	9	12

⁽¹⁾Does not include 2,423 cases brought by flight attendants seeking compensatory damages for personal injuries allegedly caused by exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (“ETS”). The flight attendants allege that they are members of an ETS smoking and health class action in Florida, which was settled in 1997 (Broin). The terms of the court-approved settlement in that case allowed class members to file individual lawsuits seeking compensatory damages, but prohibited them from seeking punitive damages. Also, does not include individual smoking and health cases brought by or on behalf of plaintiffs in Florida state and federal courts following the decertification of the Engle case (discussed below in Smoking and Health Litigation - Engle Class Action).

⁽²⁾ Includes as one case the 600 civil actions (of which 344 were actions against PM USA) that were to be tried in a single proceeding in West Virginia (In re: Tobacco Litigation). The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that the United States Constitution did not preclude a trial in two phases in this case. Issues related to defendants’ conduct and whether punitive damages are permissible were tried in the first phase. Trial in the first phase of this case began in April 2013. In May 2013, the jury returned a verdict in favor of defendants on the claims for design defect, negligence, failure to warn, breach of warranty, and concealment and declined to find that the defendants’ conduct warranted punitive damages. Plaintiffs prevailed on their claim that ventilated filter cigarettes should have included use instructions for the period 1964 - 1969. The second phase will consist of trials to determine liability and compensatory damages. In November 2014, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals affirmed the final judgment. In July 2015, the trial court entered an order that will result in the entry of final judgment in favor of defendants and against all but 30 plaintiffs who potentially have a claim against one or more defendants that may be pursued in a second phase of trial. The court intends to try the claims of these 30 plaintiffs in six consolidated trials, each with a group of five plaintiffs. PM USA is a defendant in nine of the remaining 30 cases. The first trial is currently scheduled to begin May 1, 2018. Dates for the five remaining consolidated trials have not been scheduled. The parties have agreed to resolve the cases for an immaterial amount and have so notified the court together with a motion that the court vacate the May trial date.

⁽³⁾See Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation - Federal Government’s Lawsuit below.