Consolidated Trials For Groups Of Individual Cases Is Possibility

By way of The Philadelphia Inquirer we learned on July 28, 2006 that Bloomberg News is reporting 8,800 Vioxx lawsuits have been filed against Merck & Co. Inc. in New Jersey Superior Court.  Bloomberg reports that on July 21, 2006 Judge Carol Higbee signed an order identifying 39 plaintiffs whose Vioxx case against Merck will go to trial in 2007.  Further, the Bloomberg News article reported that:

• As of late July 2006 jury selection for the first of these New Jersey 2007 Vioxx trials is scheduled for January 16, 2007.
• As of late July 2006 it was mentioned that Judge Higbee may include the individual cases of five to ten plaintiffs in a so-called consolidated trial.
• As of late July 2006 any plan involving such consolidated or group cases has been opposed by Merck and its lawyers.
• As of late July 2006, like stated above, there were 8,800 Vioxx lawsuits filed against Merck & Co. Inc. in the New Jersey state court system.
• As of late July 2006 across the country, in federal and state courts, Merck faces a current total 16,000 Vioxx lawsuits — with the number of filed lawsuits likely to increase in the next month.
• As of late July 2006 Merck continues to assert that it will contest each Vioxx case that has been filed, to trial if necessary.

Meanwhile, the Barnett Vioxx trial in New Orleans will conclude in the near term with the next Vioxx verdict.

August 17 Update #1:  Verdict for Plaintiff in Barnett; Merck Failed to Warn Doctors About Vioxx’s Risks

August 17 Update #2:  Judge Higbee Vacates Jury Verdict For Merck; Humeston Case Retrial In January 2007

(Posted by: Tom Lamb)