As an example of the widespread effects of Vioxx, the Bangor Daily News reports today that a woman has filed suit in federal court there, hoping to be included in a class action Vioxx lawsuit. Exerpts from the article:
Merck withdrew the drug from the market last year after a long-term study showed that patients who took Vioxx had an increased danger of heart attacks and strokes after taking the drug for more than 18 months.
So far, Lally has not suffered any ill effects from Vioxx, but she is at a greater risk of heart attack and stroke in the future, according to the complaint. Court documents do not disclose Lally’s age or why or for how long she took Vioxx.
Although filed in Maine, Lally’s case is expected to be transferred, along with others, to another state. More than 1,100 cases have been combined in U.S. Eastern District Court of Louisiana in New Orleans. About 100 of those plaintiffs are seeking class-action status, according to court documents.
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon is overseeing the litigation in New Orleans. After the monthly pretrial conference in July, he noted that the first federal case could be ready for trial in late November.
