What is the status of Vioxx litigation?
More than 400 lawsuits have already been filed in state and federal courts in California, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas against Merck over Vioxx. Two are seeking class-action status. The first lawsuit was filed in 2001 and one is scheduled for trial in December. Estimates put the litigation costs to the company up to $12 billion. Merck disclosed it has product liability insurance for Vioxx claims up to $630 million. New-York based Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP has represented Merck & Co. for over 25 years. American Lawyer magazine ranks Hughes Hubbard among the top 20 US law firms. In a Tampa Vioxx lawsuit, Merck cited 30 affirmative defenses to a heart attack victim’s allegations of strict liability, negligence, negligent misrepresentation and fraud. What is Merck’s liability for Vioxx injuries? Plaintiff attorneys will be certain to highlight Merck’s knowledge of Vioxx’s dangers at an early stage. On November 1, 2004, The Wall Street Journal reported that
