An Illinois Supreme Court decision to throw out a $10.1-billion class-action lawsuit verdict against Philip Morris was upheld without comment by the U.S. Supreme Court, CNN reported Nov. 27.

The state court ruled last year against the massive award to a group of former smokers of "light" and "low-tar" cigarettes, saying that the company could not be held liable because the U.S. Federal Trade Commission permitted tobacco companies to use the terms to describe cigarettes. The smokers claimed that the terms were intentionally misleading.

The trial judge in the case had ruled in favor of the 1.1 million plaintiffs, saying that Philip Morris used the terms to mislead smokers into thinking they were using a safer product.