U.S. jury awards millions in Vioxx lawsuit

[MMMike]

U.S. jury awards millions in Vioxx lawsuit

--snip-- Drug giant Merck & Co. Inc. has suffered a severe setback in the first of thousands of lawsuits in the United States and Canada as a Texas jury awarded more than $253-million (U.S.) to the family of a man who died after taking the company's Vioxx painkiller.-- snip--

Ouch! $253million!? There are still thousands of lawsuits pending. I'm not sure why there are soo many individual suits and not a single class action suit. Will there be anything left of the company to sue after they settle the first few claims?

I don't know what the particulars of this case are, but I have no problem with a company being sued into oblivian if it is found to have deliberately have concealed dangers of their product (drug companies, tobacco companies). This is the check and the balance on the "big, bad corporations".

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

Right on. Like the tobacco companies, the drug companies are utterly indifferent to the 'casualties' of their product. I say, hit them hard, hit them big, hit them often.

Losing a legal battle doesn't just hit them in the pocketbook, it hits them where it hurts even more: public perception. A lost reputation can bring them to their knees long before the lawsuits are done with them.

 

[Cosmo]

RE: U.S. jury awards mill

I agree with you about the drug companies, Haggis, because we have faith that their products will help not hurt us ... or at least that we will be informed of the dangers.

About tobacco, I disagree. Warnings are clearly posted on every tobacco product. Plus you'd have to be living under a rock to not know smoking is bad for you. Those of us who choose to indulge are aware and deserve no right to pursue for damages. At least we die sooner so we're not a burden on the medical system for as long as those darn health nuts who need to be taken care of into their 80s!

Kinda like when I used to ride my Harley without a helmet. If I sustained a head injury, I made sure I acted responsibly and never rode without a helmet (actually never rode) without carrying a DNR order. I knew the risks and weighed them against the pleasure, just like I do with smoking.

Scary stuff, those perscription drugs. My doc wants me to start taking arthritis medication but I've been putting it off because the side effects are so nasty. Meanwhile I take narcotics for pain and have to constantly be aware of the addictive nature. Either way, I still trust the drugs I'm perscribed won't kill me. If they do, I hope Shell sues someone's ass!

 

[MMMike]

Re: RE: U.S. jury awards mill

Scary stuff, those perscription drugs. My doc wants me to start taking arthritis medication but I've been putting it off because the side effects are so nasty. Meanwhile I take narcotics for pain and have to constantly be aware of the addictive nature. Either way, I still trust the drugs I'm perscribed won't kill me. If they do, I hope Shell sues someone's ass!

I'm very distrustful of 'medicines' of any kind. I find their effectiveness questionable, especially when you start mixing with numerous other medications. These people popping 40 pills a day... I gotta think it does more harm than good. Maybe doctors start need to be adopting a higher standard of proof before they prescribe anything.

Or better yet, how about prescribing exercise and a balanced diet? You could save $billions in prescription drug, and a healthier society to boot. (little off topic - sorry)

 

[Cosmo]

RE: U.S. jury awards mill

Agree Mmmike ... but there are times when diet and exercise just don't do it. I have fibro, my partner has MS. We do try to eat right and I exercise every day (critical to fibro) but it ain't enough.

Good suggestion, tho.

 

[MMMike]

Definitely, its not enough in some cases... I was thinking mostly of fat people inactive people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, bad joints, bad backs etc... etc... etc...

 

[Haggis McBagpipe]

Re: RE: U.S. jury awards mill

Cosmo, I see your point about the tobacco companies, and yes, there is a difference, good point.

Still, both industries are ruthless in their indifference to the harm done by their product. We live in a society that is rabid about getting crack/heroin/etc dealers off the street then throwing away the key, but we figure that tobacco companies are exonerated because they slap a warning label on the packaging.

With regards to your arthritis, I have a good deal of sympathy for people who are in your situation, I don't know what the hell I'd do, that's for sure. I only hope they can finally find something that works and is safe. Even Tylenol is now, along with Ibuprofen, found to cause high blood pressure in women.

There are things in place that increase the odds of more and more unsafe drugs reaching the market. Fierce competition among the pharmaceutical companies, ergo a never-ending frantic rush to be the first to get the newest! best yet! miracle drug out... the unbelievable greed and amoral policies of pharmaceutical companies... and finally, the frequently premature coverage by the media of brand-new so-called miracle drugs.

 

[Jo Canadian]