Negative reactions to prescription medications kill and injure thousands of people each year.
Many drugs on the market, even some that are heavily advertised, are neither safe nor effective. We have recently had a shocking reminder of the dangers that drugs can pose. Vioxx, an arthritis painkiller, was found to cause serious medical side effects in those that used it. The maker of the Vioxx, Merck, deliberately withheld information about the potentially fatal side effects of their drug. They withheld information about he side-effects from doctors as well in an attempt to rush the drug onto the market. Scores of cases of heart attacks and strokes ailing patients finally led to its withdrawal from the market. Unfortunately, that withdrawal came too late for many victims.
Robert Ernst was one such victim. He died from the side effects of the drug in 2001. Recently, his widow Carol was able to secure retribution for her husband’s death. A Texas jury awarded her $253 million dollars for her loss. While the money could never replace her husband, the verdict of the trial opens the door for many more personal injury cases that deal with the drug Vioxx. In fact, more than 4,000 sufferers from around the world have also lodged negligence claims against Merck, with experts warning that the company faces a ” potentially unlimited” flood of cases that could cost it more than $50 billion. For sufferers, however, that number still seems too small to fully settle their losses.
If you or someone you know has suffered the potentially fatal side effects of Vioxx, don’t hesitate. Contact a qualified personal injury lawyer to represent your lawsuit against the drug company.
