Oregon Vioxx victims may have a chance to sue Merck
There is great news for the residents of the State of Oregon. A bizarre provision in the state laws bars them from suing Merck in the Vioxx recall case while almost all other Americans (except those living in Michigan), including some residents of Oregon. The bill took a long time to pass since Republican allies of the drug industry wanted to protect Merck.
Still, the bill passed only with a very narrow margin. Kudos to Senator Frank Morse, who despite being a Republican, put the interests of the people ahead of a drug company. It is highly unlikely that the bill will pass in the House, which is actually controlled by Republicans.
While the politicians in Oregon work hard to help a drug company that is responsible for as many as 140,000 injuries and an estimated 50,000 deaths of Americans, the first of over 100,000 Vioxx lawsuits is scheduled to go on trial this month in Texas. In another development in Texas, the Attorney General is suing Merck for knowingly selling a dangerous drug and committing fraud under the laws of the state.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Judge Carol Higbee is investigating how a potentially damaging document incriminating Merck was leaked to the press. Merck mistakenly handed over the document to attorneys. The documents proves that not only did Merck knew that Vioxx was a dangerous drug as early as 2000, it actually did nothing as Merck employees argued among themselves if reformulating the drug to lower its cardiovascular risks was a good idea.
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