Humeston Vioxx trial gets ugly

Merck's desperation at the Humeston vs Merck trial in Atlantic City is apparent. When Diane Sullivan violated the terms of the trial, she received a reprimand from Judge Carol Higbee. In fact Merck's legal team behaved in such a manner that the Judge threatended to declare a mistrial.

You would hope that the company would learn and not repeat the bad behavior. On the other hand, after world-renowned cardiologist Dr. Benedict Lucchesi declared that even one dose of Vioxx can lead to heart attacks and strokes, another Merck attorney Stephen Raber literally started to shout at him. Things got so ugly that Judge Carol Higbee had to intervene and ask the attorney to keep his voice down.

Dr. Benedict's testimony may very well prove to the decisive factor in Merck's second loss in Vioxx litigation. The company suffered a major setback when it lost its first trial in Angleton, Texas.

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