Vioxx Lawsuit

If you or a loved one has been injured by Vioxx, you may be entitled to compensation. You should contact a lawyer experienced in lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies.

The information contained on this page is not a substitute for legal advice. Because your rights can be affected by many factors including the time it takes you to file a Vioxx lawsuit, you should immediately contact us if you or a loved one was injured by Vioxx.

Vioxx Settlement

Vioxx Lawsuit Blawg

November 9, 2007—Merck announced that is has offered $4.85 billion to settle 27,000 lawsuits filed by people claiming injuries after taking Vioxx.

Vioxx was removed from the market in September 2004 after several studies revealed that the drug was associated with a substantially greater risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Texas Jury Finds Merck Liable for Vioxx Death

The jury in the first Vioxx lawsuit to reach trial returned a verdict in favor of the Plaintiff. Angered at the conduct by Merck officials, jurors included in the verdict a punitive damages award of $229 million.

These damages are meant to punish Merck for knowingly selling a drug that caused more than 130,000 heart attacks and strokes and more than 55,000 deaths (according to estimates of Dr. David Graham of the FDA). The damage award also was intended to deter Merck and other drug companies from engaging in such reckless conduct in the future.

Caps or limits passed by the government and built in to the judicial system will automatically reduce the verdict to only about 10% of what the jury awarded. That amount, while it may sound large to ordinary people, is not large to Merck and may not make Merck accept responsibility for this actions. Merck has vowed to continue fighting every case. The smaller amount by which the law requires the verdict to be reduced will not deter a multi-billion dollar drug company like Merck from doing the same thing with another drug.

Posted August 21, 2005 at 2:17pm

Pathologist Testifies Man's Death Caused by Heart Attack

The first Vioxx trial continues in Texas, where a pathologist testified that the death of the Vioxx patient was the result of a heart attack. Merck had fought hard to stop the testimony of the doctor, but ultimately failed when the Texas Supreme Court dismissed Merck's arguments.

Robert Ernst had taken Vioxx for 8 months before suffering a heart attack. Ernst was a personal trainer and ran marathons before his death.

Posted August 3, 2005 at 6:22am

Latest Vioxx Lawsuit Numbers

The Houston Chronicle reports that lawsuits against Merck over the drug Vioxx have been filed in courts throughout the country. Here are some of those numbers:

907 federal cases combined in litigation in New Orleans
More than 700 cases pending in other federal courts
More than 1,900 cases pending in a coordinated proceeding in New Jersey
More than 170 cases involving more than 1,000 plaintiffs penidng in California state courts
More than 170 cases pending in other state courts, including more than 50 in Texas
At least 118 class action lawsuits pending in state and federal courts

Posted July 19, 2005 at 12:32pm

Merck's Vioxx Lawsuit Defense Strategy Aims to Cap Payouts

Merck & Co. insists it will fight each Vioxx lawsuit on a case-by-case basis. The company is hoping to minimize payouts to injured parties, which experts have estimated will cost Merck anywhere between $4 billion and $30 billion. This strategy leaves Merck vulnerable to attacks that the company intentionally ignored critical safety warnings in its effort to market the drug.

This defense strategy underscores the need for those people injured by Vioxx to select an aggressive law firm experienced in taking on large corporations.

Posted July 17, 2005 at 4:34pm

Vioxx Jury Trial Begins in Texas

The first Vioxx trial began in Texas. Attorneys for the plaintiff accused Merck & Co. of trading its mission of heading for the pursuit of profit. The suit was brought by the widow of a personal trainer who died in his sleep of an irregular heartbeat. He had been taking Vioxx for the eight months prior to his death.

Attorney Forest Horne of Martin & Jones traveled to Texas to observe the proceedings in preparation for trials of the firm's own Vioxx cases.

Posted July 15, 2005 at 3:47pm

About the Vioxx Lawsuit

Martin & Jones Can Help You

It still is not entirely clear how many people have been injured by Vioxx. FDA estimates place the number at more than 120,000 victims. The federal judge charged with handling pre-trial activities told lawyers that 100,000 people like will sue for injuries caused by Vioxx.

Bracing for a wave of lawsuits filed by those injured by Vioxx, Merck & Co. already has announced it intends to create a reserve to cover legal costs associated with Vioxx lawsuits.

At the time of the Vioxx recall, approximately two million Americans were taking the drug. The popularity of the drug was fueled by an aggressive advertising campaign that pumped more than $100 million a year into the promotion of Vioxx. These promotional efforts came in spite of knowledge within the company that serious cardiovascular side effects, including heart attack and stroke, were linked to the drug.

At the center of every Vioxx lawsuit will be debate between the parties about when Merck knew about the dangers of Vioxx. Documents recently uncovered reveal the company knew about serious Vioxx side effects as early as March 2000.

Merck's problems aren't limited to Vioxx lawsuits filed by people taking the drug. The company announced on November 8, 2004 that two governmental agencies had launched a criminal investigation into the company's handling of the Vioxx withdrawal.

Lawsuits against drug companies are complex. Martin & Jones has the experience and resources to aggressively represent people injured by Vioxx. We have represented hundreds of victims in legal claims against manufacturers of dangerous pharmaceuticals and would like to help you if you have suffered a heart attack or stroke following use of Vioxx.

Because the law limits the amount of time an injured person or their family has to file a lawsuit for damages, you should contact an attorney if you believe you may have a Vioxx claim.

Martin & Jones has represented hundreds of victims in legal claims against manufacturers of dangerous pharmaceuticals.