United States District Judge Eldon Fallon in New Orleans, who threw out a $51 million award against Vioxx maker Merck & Co., reversed his own decision recently and awarded $1.6 million to a former FBI agent who attributed his heart attack to taking the painkiller Vioxx. Judge Fallon oversees all Vioxx litigation in federal courts and said that the retired agent, Gerald Barnett, could accept the $1.6 million award or have a new trial on his claim that Vioxx caused the heart attack he suffered in 2002. The award includes $1 million in punitive damages and $600,000 in compensatory damages.
New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company Merck is the third largest drugmaker in the United States and faces over 27,000 lawsuits over Vioxx; the drug has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Vioxx was pulled off the market in 2005.
If you or a loved one has suffered a heart attack or stroke since taking Vioxx, please visit the website of experienced Houston Dangerous Drugs Attorneys Marc Whitehead & Associates.
