Vioxx Personal Injury Lawsuits

Personal injury attorneys representing clients who have allegedly been harmed by the prescription drug Vioxx are congratulating themselves over a historic judgment rendered recently. On August 19, 2005, a judge awarded the family of Bob Ernst $253.4 million due to his death from the drug. Vioxx, which had been prescribed most often for arthritis pain, was withdrawn globally by its maker, Merck, after research trials showed it increased patients' chances of a heart attack. Although Merck pulled the drug off the market in September 2004, legal action against this leading pharmaceutical giant will continue and expand. Let's take a look at why Vioxx has become a litigation lightning rod.

In 1998 as Merck was running clinical trials for Vioxx, company reports to the FDA stated that there were no cardiovascular signals apparent. This meant that there were no telltale signs that the drug could cause heart problems for users. Later, however, it was revealed that an internal study conducted by Merck around the same time ? Study 090 ? revealed serious cardiovascular problems as compared to patients not taking Vioxx. The study was never published by Merck as the company insisted that it was not large enough to provide definitive data.

The following year the FDA gave Vioxx its approval and the drug became the second nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication [or COX-2 inhibitor] to hit the market. Celebrex, another problem drug, was the first.

Merck widely and thoroughly launched a marketing campaign upon the introduction of Vioxx to the marketplace. Indeed, by 2003 the drug had entered 80 nations with sales exceeding $2.5 billion. Still, there were problems looming as ongoing tests conducted by Merck hinted of potential deadly side effects.

As early as 2001, the FDA recommended label warnings be put on prescriptions warning users of potential side effects. In addition, Merck was warned by the FDA to quit misleading physicians about potential side effects.

As potential problems began to surface, they served as red flags to industry watchdogs, to the FDA, as well as to personal injury attorneys who began to gather evidence to show that Merck was negligent. Indeed, web sites and advertising campaigns ? meant to inform and attract patients harmed by the drug ? were launched and fairly soon the internet, radio, television, and print media were flooded with advertisements asking those suspecting harm from Vioxx to come forward.

With the September 2004 announcement that Merck was withdrawing Vioxx, personal injury litigation was well on its way to being established. By early 2005, the first cases were filed and the Ernst case became the first Vioxx lawsuit to be settled.

Wrongful death lawsuits against Vioxx's maker, Merck, are expected to increase as the result of the Ernst decision. Personal injury attorneys insist that thousands of former Vioxx users and/or their families are due compensation for Merck's neglect. It remains to be seen if juries will render judgments as large as the Ernst judgment and whether courts will uphold these amounts. Nevertheless, it is certain that Merck is in for a long battle that will reach well beyond its US base.

Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on just about any and every issue imaginable. You can preview samples from his high performing site at http://www.thearticlewriter.com

---

A Look at the Different Acid Reflux Symptoms

Acid reflux symptoms vary in degrees of discomfort, from person to person, and within different age groups. The most common and persistent symptom is a burning sensation... Read More

Traditional Treatments for Back Pain... Which Ones Work and Which Ones Don?t?

When Dorothy followed the yellow brick road, she was told to do so by those who wanted her to get where she wanted go. Well as humans... Read More

Rheumatoid Arthritis : the time bomb

The beginning is very much hard to spot as we migh just wake up in the morning and feel that the fingers on our hand do not... Read More

Substance Abuse Attitude Testing by a Standardized Survey

This is a short overview of a questionnaire used for substance abuse attitude testing in testing a CREATE (Curriculum Renewal and Evaluation of Addiction Training and Education)... Read More

Chronic Headaches and Pain Often Can Be Eliminated By A Special Dentist

DENVER ? Sometimes as Freud once said a good cigar is just a smoke. A headache, on the other hand, occasionally can be a sign of something... Read More

Benefits of a Virtual Top Doctor Consultant

Looking for the best doctor to suite your medical needs can be a problem, especially if you don't have time and you need to research the doctor's... Read More

Bextra and Vioxx -- Tips for Arthritis Relief Without Them

The recent withdrawal of Vioxx and Bextra from the marketplace, due to concerns over unwanted side effects, has many arthritis sufferers concerned. These drugs, which belong to... Read More

Celebrex? Vioxx? Can My Doctor Provide Me With Safe Prescription Painkillers?

The news has been full of the recent FDA findings on a new set of drugs to help relieve pain. These drugs have been approved for re-release,... Read More

Doc, My Tummy Aches and My Joints Hurt! Is there a connection?

Inflammatory disease of the bowel- regional enteritis (Crohn's disease) and ulcerative colitis- are often associated with arthritis. This occurs because inflammation in the bowel and the joints... Read More

Medical Error Crisis

The unfortunate truth about medical errors is that they plague the poor and uninsured, reflecting the great medical inequality in our country. For those who do not... Read More

A Guide to Arthritis Pain Relief

In a recent survey on pain conducted by the Stanford University Medical Center, arthritis pain was cited as the chief complaint among America's seniors, with thirty-two percent... Read More

Environmental Medicine

Our modern preservatives and other pollutants like yellow dye no. 5 have caused bodily responses which detract or impair the natural process of our system. It is... Read More

Viagra Users - Overcome NAION Fear

NAION is the latest side effect linked to Viagra and other ED drugs. It is a condition which results from a painless swelling of the optic nerve... Read More

Considerations in Distance Education for the Medical Assistant Instructor

Medical Assistant distance education is emerging to meet the demands of a new generation of students in the twenty first century. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School distance... Read More

Online Pharmacies Are Becoming Increasingly Popular Due To Their Convenience And Discreetness

Leading online pharmacy companies are providing consumer with a secure, safe, convenient, and discreet way to acquire prescriptions.People in need of prescriptions are turning to the internet... Read More

Cold-Eeze Side Effects Lawyer: Zinc Destroys Sense of Smell!

Cold-Eeze is a homeopathic solution to the common cold. It is a zinc-based solution that can be taken as a tablet or a nasal spray. Limited studies... Read More

Vioxx and Bextra Lawsuits Could Tie Up Courts for Years

In September, 2004, pharmaceutical giant Merck voluntarily withdrew its painkilling medication Vioxx from the market. Studies show that Vioxx increases the risk of heart attack and stroke... Read More

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Simple Self-Help Tips

If you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you will know how difficult it is to treat. Doctors can be dismissive of IBS symptoms such... Read More

Can You Always Trust Your Dentists Recommendations?

Can you always trust your dentists' recommendations? Think for yourself - in the last 30 years the health of our teeth has improved dramatically. We drink fluoridated... Read More

Increasing Patient Care and Reducing Liability in Seven Simple Steps

When an unconscious patient arrives in the ED, every hospital agrees that timely next of kin notification is vital. Not only is it important to have a... Read More

Thimerosal: Autism and Mercury Poisoning Side Effects?

Thimerosal is a preservative that is added to vaccines (has been since the 1930s) that is almost half (49.6% by weight) mercury. Preservatives are added to vaccines... Read More

Finally...Affordable Prescription Medication without Insurance.

If you are like many Americans, you are without health insurance. And the ranks of the uninsured are growing. According to the National Coalition on Health Care... Read More

Family Notification in Seven Quick and Easy Steps

The Seven Steps to Successful Notification is an easy-to-use system based on time-tested tools successfully used by hospitals nationwide. It provides your hospital staff with all of... Read More

Facial Pain: When a Nerve Is a Live Wire

Of all the places in the body that can hurt, the face might seem the strangest. But for some people, that's exactly where the agony occurs, and... Read More

Robotic Future of Hospitals; Pandemic Prevention and Bio-Terrorist Attack

There is a huge concern in the medical industry that if a biological weapon were released that those sick might come to the hospitals in such large... Read More

The True Meaning of Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine is a type of therapeutic practice that is not considered to be a part of traditional or conventional medical treatment. People use alternative medicine instead... Read More