Merck to pay 32 million dollars to Vioxx victim

It seems that Merck is finally being held accountable for the deaths of 60,000 Americans due to Vioxx. After being directed to pay as much as $13.5 million to John McDarby, a jury in Texas is asking the company to pay $32 million to the family of Leonel Garza.

In further bad news to the company, after a series of losses in Vioxx litigation, it is now facing as many as 11,500 lawsuits. According to the FDA, as many as 60,000 Americans were killed by the popular painkiller that was aggressively promoted through advertising.

In a familiar response, the company issued a press release attacking the deceased Leonel Garza. It also makes argument in the press release that it made during the trial but the jury was not convinced.

It is very clear that Merck is fighting a battle in which its chances of winning are declining with each case. While the company repeated its goal to keep fighting each victim one by one, analysts expect that the company will be forced to settle the cases within a matter of months as more damaging evidence is presented in each trial. In the meantime, company's lawyers are trying their desperate measures to get an upper hand.

Recommended reading: Scientists criticize Merck for its lies