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Contingencies (Tables)
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Schedule of Contingencies
The table below lists the number of certain tobacco-related cases pending in the United States against PM USA and, in some instances, Altria as of July 23, 2018, July 24, 2017 and July 22, 2016:
 
July 23, 2018
 
July 24, 2017
 
July 22, 2016
Individual Smoking and Health Cases (1)
97
 
90
 
62
Smoking and Health Class Actions and Aggregated Claims Litigation (2)
3
 
4
 
5
Health Care Cost Recovery Actions (3)
1
 
1
 
1
“Lights/Ultra Lights” Class Actions
3
 
4
 
9
(1) Includes 27 cases filed in Massachusetts and 38 non-Engle cases filed in Florida. 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 (these Engle progeny cases are discussed below in Smoking and Health Litigation - Engle Class Action). Also does not include 1,491 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. In March 2018, 923 of these cases were voluntarily dismissed without prejudice.
(2) The 2016 and 2017 pending cases include as one case the 30 civil actions that were to be tried in six consolidated trials in West Virginia (In re: Tobacco Litigation). PM USA was a defendant in nine of the 30 cases. The parties agreed to resolve the cases for an immaterial amount and in the second quarter of 2018, the court dismissed all 30 cases.
(3) See Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation - Federal Government’s Lawsuit below.
The changes in Altria’s accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items, including related interest costs, for the periods specified below are as follows:
 
For the Six Months Ended June 30,
 
For the Three Months Ended June 30,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2018
 
2017
 
(in millions)
Accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items at beginning of period (1)
$
106

 
$
47

 
$
111

 
$
47

Pre-tax charges for:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tobacco and health judgments
84

 
16

 
60

 
15

Related interest costs
14

 
2

 
10

 
2

Payments (1)
(97
)
 
(18
)
 
(74
)
 
(17
)
Accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items at end of period (1)
$
107

 
$
47

 
$
107

 
$
47

(1) Includes amounts related to the costs of implementing the corrective communications remedy related to the Federal Government’s Lawsuit discussed below.