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Skip to main content Watch Live On Demand * * * * * * * * * * Home Page * Live * Watch Live: Law & Crime Network * WATCH LIVE: Man faces murder trial after bar brawl turns deadly * WATCH LIVE: Young Thug YSL racketeering trial * 9 Shocking Times Defendants Testified at Trial * 10 Most Memorable Law&Crime Network Trials * Watch Live: Brevard County Bond Court * View All Live Trials * Where to Watch * TV Schedule * Bodycam Videos * Shows * Justice Rules * Vanished * Trial File * Buried with Love * Prime Crime * Jail * Cops Reloaded * Law&Crime Productions * Hosts * Podcasts * Shop * Book Club * Subscribe * * * * * * * * * Law&Crime Watch Live On Demand * Home Page * Live * Watch Live: Law & Crime Network * WATCH LIVE: Man faces murder trial after bar brawl turns deadly * WATCH LIVE: Young Thug YSL racketeering trial * 9 Shocking Times Defendants Testified at Trial * 10 Most Memorable Law&Crime Network Trials * Watch Live: Brevard County Bond Court * View All Live Trials * Where to Watch * TV Schedule * Bodycam Videos * Shows * Justice Rules * Vanished * Trial File * Buried with Love * Prime Crime * Jail * Cops Reloaded * Law&Crime Productions * Hosts * Podcasts * Shop * Book Club * Subscribe * MOM FILMED RIPPING 6-YEAR-OLD FROM CAR BY HAIR, HITTING HIM WITH BOOSTER SEAT, REPEATEDLY STRIKING HIM: POLICE * ‘MOST FUN I’VE HAD IN A WHILE’: MAN ALLEGEDLY CRASHED DRUNK INTO OWN HOME IN DISPUTE OVER SELLING IT * ‘GOAL IS AT LEAST 20 PEOPLE’: TEEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY THREATENING TO SHOOT UP CHURCH IN COMMENTS ON YOUTUBE VIDEOS ABOUT PULSE NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE * ‘I WISH I COULD DO MORE’: MISSING WOMAN’S BODY BELIEVED TO BE FOUND 45 DAYS AFTER SHE WAS ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY HER HUSBAND * ‘YOU ARE A COLD-BLOODED HUMAN BEING’: JUDGE EXCORIATES CONDEMNED MAN WHO DOUSED WOMAN WITH GASOLINE AND SET HER ON FIRE WHIP-IT! SELLERS MUST PAY $745 MILLION FOR SELLING TO DRIVER WHO PASSED OUT AND KILLED 25-YEAR-OLD VICTIM Elura NanosSep 11th, 2023, 10:07 am Updated Sep 11th, 2023, 1:03 pm 25 comments Share Twitter share button copy link Left: Trenton Geiger (image via Missouri Dept. of Corrections); Right: A carton of Whip-It! cream charger canisters is shown. (Image via court filings). A St. Louis jury ordered the distributor and local seller of Whip-It! nitrous oxide cartridges to pay a whopping $745 million for their “deliberate disregard” of public safety by selling the food-prep product to a young driver who inhaled the contents, got behind the wheel of a car and killed 25-year-old Marissa Politte. Politte, a radiology technician, was killed when 20-year-old Trenton Geiger passed out while driving. After the accident, police discovered that Geiger had been abusing Whip-It! nitrous oxide behind the wheel, then threw some of the used containers into the woods where it was recovered by investigators. Whip-It! nitrous oxide chargers (also known as “whippets”) are small steel canisters used with whipped cream dispensers for food preparation. However, the evidence presented at trial showed that Whip-It! chargers are often used as inhalants — which can cause addiction and brain damage. Politte’s parents brought a wrongful death lawsuit against United Brands Products Design Development and Marketing, Inc., an international distributor of Whip-It!, for allegedly exploiting the illicit market for nitrous oxide by selling the product to retailers far outside the food business, such as tobacco stores and head shops. According to the complaint, inhaling nitrous oxide, “can result in euphoric, dissociated, and out-of-body experiences,” as well as, “[cause] the user to get very dizzy, light-headed, and giggly.” The plaintiffs said the side effects of nitrous oxide abuse include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, vitamin deficiency, hemorrhages, heart attacks, seizures, comas, asphyxiation, neurological damage, and even death — and that Marissa Politte was one of many victims who suffered as a direct result of Whip-It! abuse. The court filing said that Geiger had been addicted to the substance, and that in addition to the canister found nearby, multiple pieces of related drug paraphernalia were found in the driver’s vehicle after the collision. Related Coverage: * ‘WOULD CREATE A RISK OF WIDESPREAD FRAUD WHERE NONE EXISTS’: JUDGE REFUSES TO LET KARI LAKE INSPECT 2022 ELECTION BALLOT AFFIDAVIT ENVELOPES * ‘I’VE BEEN RAPED, I CAN HELP YOU, I CAN PROTECT YOU’: LAWSUIT ALLEGES TRUMP ATTORNEY EMPATHIZED WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT VICTIM AND ‘PRESSURED’ HER INTO SIGNING AN ‘ILLEGAL NDA’ * INDIANA AG’S ‘IRRELEVANT POSTURING’ COMES BACK TO BITE HIM AS JUDGE THROWS OUT LAWSUIT AGAINST TIKTOK FOR MULTIPLE FAILURES The jury found United Brands Products Design Development and Marketing, Inc. and Coughing Cardinal, LLC, a St. Louis head shop, conspired to sell the product to Geiger. At trial, attorneys for the plaintiffs introduced the testimony of a former United Brands warehouse employee who estimated 75% of the company’s product went to smoke shops and that marketing campaigns specifically targeted young people at concerts and parties. At the close of the case on Friday, the defendants each moved for a directed verdict in their favor. The court denied both motions, thereby clearing the way for the jury to assess the massive damages against the losing litigants. Of the $745 million judgment, $20 million represented compensatory damages, while $700 million was assessed in punitive damages against United Brands and another $25 million in punitive damages against Coughing Cardinal. Johnny M. Simon, attorney for the Politte family, reacted to the verdict in a statement Sunday: > We hope that her life is memorialized through this verdict, and no family will > ever have to live with the pain that the Politte family has lived with and > will live with forever. We thank the jurors for their dedication and service > and look forward to the day when nitrous oxide is off the shelves of smoke and > head shops. Geiger, now 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree involuntary manslaughter, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, and evidence tampering. He was sentenced to two years in prison for each count. Close Powered By 10 ‘Bud Light’ Drinking, Foul-Mouthed Florida Man Threatens to Kill, Rape Cops and Their Families Share Next Stay Attorneys for the defendants did not respond to requests for comment. Join the discussion 25 comments Editor’s Note: This piece was updated from its original format to include additional legal analysis. Have a tip we should know? tips@lawandcrime.com FILED UNDER: Missouriwrongful death FOLLOW LAW&CRIME: * * * * * * * * * Gutes Hören Dachau: Gutes Hören sucht 700 Testhörer vor 1972 geborenGutes Hören| SponsoredSponsored Undo Pflege-Ratgeber24 Achtung: Wer einen Pflegegrad hat, der lässt oft bares Geld liegen!So holen Sie sich gratis Pflegeprodukte im Wert von 480€ im JahrPflege-Ratgeber24| SponsoredSponsored Mehr erfahren Undo Gutes Hören Dachau: Neuestes Schweizer Hörgerät ist genial und sogar unsichtbarGutes Hören| SponsoredSponsored Undo Siemens Energy California Steps Toward Decarbonization By Doing ThisSiemens Energy| SponsoredSponsored Learn More Undo Treppenlift-Vergleich Kein Scherz: So wenig kosten Treppenlifte 2023 wirklichTreppenlift-Fachfirmen konkurrieren im Angebotsvergleich - Ihr Vorteil! Einfach Fragebogen ausfüllen, Angebote vergleichen, durchschnittlich 27% sparen!Treppenlift-Vergleich| SponsoredSponsored Mehr erfahren Undo Previous PostNext Post Previous PostNext Post Elura Nanos - Columnist & Trial Analyst, Law & Crime; CEO Lawyer Up * * * Elura is a columnist and trial analyst for Law & Crime. Elura is also a former civil prosecutor for NYC's Administration for Children's Services, the CEO of Lawyer Up, and the author of How To Talk To Your Lawyer and the Legalese-to-English series. Follow Elura on Twitter @elurananos More Stories by Elura Nanos Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. TOP OF TODAY 1. 'WOULD CREATE A RISK OF WIDESPREAD FRAUD WHERE NONE EXISTS': JUDGE REFUSES TO LET KARI LAKE INSPECT 2022 ELECTION BALLOT AFFIDAVIT ENVELOPES 2. SUSPENDED LAWYER WHO GOT 'KICK' OUT OF CHUCKING POOP-FILLED PRINGLES CANS INTO VICTIM CENTER PARKING LOT SAYS HE WAS 'BLOWING OFF STEAM' 3. 'CENTRAL PLAYERS': JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS' BILLIONAIRE AND FEDERALIST SOCIETY CO-CHAIRMAN FRIENDS SUBPOENAED IN SCOTUS ETHICS PROBE 4. ACCUSED CHILD ABUSER RUBY FRANKE'S ESTRANGED HUSBAND FILES FOR DIVORCE 5. REALITY TV DOCTOR WHO 'LOST EVERYTHING' IN POLITICALLY 'MANUFACTURED' AND FAILED PROSECUTION TAKES PLEA DEAL ON MINOR RIFLE AND MUSHROOM CHARGES IN EXCHANGE FOR PROBATION by Taboolaby Taboola Sponsored LinksSponsored Links Promoted LinksPromoted Links You May Like Gutes Hören Dachau: Gutes Hören sucht 700 Testhörer vor 1972 geborenGutes Hören Undo Pflege-Ratgeber24 Achtung: Wer einen Pflegegrad hat, der lässt oft bares Geld liegen!Pflege-Ratgeber24Mehr erfahren Undo Tips Have a tip or story idea? Email us. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. You may also like: * ‘WOULD CREATE A RISK OF WIDESPREAD FRAUD WHERE NONE EXISTS’: JUDGE REFUSES TO LET KARI LAKE INSPECT 2022 ELECTION BALLOT AFFIDAVIT ENVELOPES Matt NahamDec 1st, 2023, 10:04 am * ‘I’VE BEEN RAPED, I CAN HELP YOU, I CAN PROTECT YOU’: LAWSUIT ALLEGES TRUMP ATTORNEY EMPATHIZED WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT VICTIM AND ‘PRESSURED’ HER INTO SIGNING AN ‘ILLEGAL NDA’ Colin KalmbacherNov 30th, 2023, 8:24 pm * INDIANA AG’S ‘IRRELEVANT POSTURING’ COMES BACK TO BITE HIM AS JUDGE THROWS OUT LAWSUIT AGAINST TIKTOK FOR MULTIPLE FAILURES Matt NahamNov 30th, 2023, 10:03 am * SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT UNLAWFULLY RETALIATED AGAINST DAUGHTER’S SOFTBALL PITCHER RIVAL AFTER CLAIMING TEAMMATES CONSPIRED ‘TO NOT CLAP’ FOR MVP AWARD: LAWSUIT Matt NahamNov 29th, 2023, 3:29 pm * INFAMOUS ADMITTED QUADRUPLE MURDERER CAN’T SUE PSYCHIATRIST FOR ‘GROSSLY NEGLIGENT TREATMENT’ BECAUSE THAT WOULD AMOUNT TO PROFITING OFF OF CRIMES, HIGH COURT RULES Matt NahamNov 29th, 2023, 12:32 pm * WOMAN ALLEGEDLY PUT SHAMPOO IN HER DRY HAIR IN COVER STORY FOR STEPFATHER’S MURDER Alberto LuperonNov 28th, 2023, 7:12 pm © 2023 LawNewz About Us Advertise Newsletter Privacy Accessibility User Agreement Ethics & Diversity Policy Contact Dan Abrams, Founder Skip to main content Watch Live On Demand * * * * * * * * * * Home Page * Live * Watch Live: Law & Crime Network * WATCH LIVE: Man faces murder trial after bar brawl turns deadly * WATCH LIVE: Young Thug YSL racketeering trial * 9 Shocking Times Defendants Testified at Trial * 10 Most Memorable Law&Crime Network Trials * Watch Live: Brevard County Bond Court * View All Live Trials * Where to Watch * TV Schedule * Bodycam Videos * Shows * Justice Rules * Vanished * Trial File * Buried with Love * Prime Crime * Jail * Cops Reloaded * Law&Crime Productions * Hosts * Podcasts * Shop * Book Club * Subscribe * * * * * * * * * Law&Crime Watch Live On Demand * Home Page * Live * Watch Live: Law & Crime Network * WATCH LIVE: Man faces murder trial after bar brawl turns deadly * WATCH LIVE: Young Thug YSL racketeering trial * 9 Shocking Times Defendants Testified at Trial * 10 Most Memorable Law&Crime Network Trials * Watch Live: Brevard County Bond Court * View All Live Trials * Where to Watch * TV Schedule * Bodycam Videos * Shows * Justice Rules * Vanished * Trial File * Buried with Love * Prime Crime * Jail * Cops Reloaded * Law&Crime Productions * Hosts * Podcasts * Shop * Book Club * Subscribe Keep on reading Daughter who gouged mom's eyes out and put them on cardboard box sentenced to prisonCamille Balla pleaded guilty to manslaughter after she killed her mom Francisca Monteiro-Balla and gouged her eyes out. 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