applied to the progeny cases so plaintiff's attorneys do n't have to start from square one in each of these cases, said Ed Sweda, a lawyer for the Tobacco Products Liability Project in Boston, Massachusetts. The industry has balked at that. Today's verdict is the result of a severely prejudicial trial plan, said Murray Garnick, Altria Client Services senior vice president and associate general counsel, speaking on behalf of Philip Morris USA, in a written statement. From beginning to end, this case was marked by legal rulings that should be reversed on appeal, including allowing this jury to rely almost exclusively on findings by a prior jury that have no direct connection with the plaintiff in this case. So far, six of the eight Engle cases that have gone to trial have come back with a plaintiff's verdict, said Sweda. Another bunch are in the pipeline ready for trial this year, he said. About Thursday's verdict, he said, This is certainly a clear indication that tobacco litigation is alive and well. Gdanski said his firm has more than 150 Engle cases. We 're more than happy to keep trying them, he said.