Not So Fast: Plaintiff Lawyers Seek to Alter Merck's Vioxx Settlement
.jpg)
Several lawyers representing people who sued Merck over Vioxx asked the federal judge overseeing the $4.85 billion Vioxx settlement for the freedom to keep some of their clients outside of the settlement while allowing others to accept it. Currently, it is an all or nothing deal—if the lawyers want any clients to receive money from the settlement they must recommend the deal to all of their clients. This was a crucial part of the settlement offered by Merck. A Merck lawyer said that the company will oppose the motion and that the settlement had been carefully devised to be fair to plaintiffs and the company. For the deal to take effect, 85% of all plaintiffs must agree to all terms of the settlement.
The emergency motion may have been prompted by the recent firestorm surrounding Merck’s cholesterol-lowering drug Zetia. Maybe the lawyers think that renewed questions about Merck’s ongoing reluctance to release pertinent safety information about its products may induce juries to render positive verdicts in certain jury trials involving patients who took Vioxx continuously for more than a year. That said, about 18 Vioxx cases have been tried and the plaintiffs have lost most of them. Nevertheless, as the old adage goes: “It never hurts to ask.”
Merck is certainly in the hot seat today and right before the holidays too!!!!!!!
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!
