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Jury Awards $4.5 Million In Vioxx Court Case
One of two plaintiffs was awarded $4.5 million in compensatory damages after a New Jersey jury handed down a split verdict Wednesday in a trial involving the once-popular painkiller Vioxx.
After two days of deliberations, the jury ruled that drug maker Merck & Co. concealed the heart attack dangers of the drug and failed to warn doctors and the public about the risks, the Associated Press reported.
The jurors found that Vioxx caused the heart attack of one plaintiff, who took it for four years, and awarded him compensatory damages. But the jury concluded that the drug did not cause the heart attack of the second plaintiff and awarded him only the cost of his Vioxx prescription.
This trial was the first involving long-term use of Vioxx and could prompt Merck to rethink its strategy of fighting each Vioxx lawsuit individually, the AP reported.
On Thursday, the former CEO of Merck denied a plaintiff lawyer's suggestions that the drugmaker withheld information about the safety of Vioxx from the Food and Drug Administration.
Former CEO Raymond Gilmartin took the stand in a court hearing aimed at determining whether Merck should pay punitive damages to the plaintiff who received compensatory damages for his heart attack.
This is the sixth trial involving Vioxx, and Merck faces 9,650 other lawsuits.
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If you or anyone you know has taken Vioxx and has experienced difficulties due to the drug, contact our vioxx lawyer and receive a free case evaluation.
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