According to Reuters, a federal jury said on Friday that drugmaker Merck was not liable in the 2001 death of a Florida man who used the recalled painkiller Vioxx.
The eight-person jury’s verdict was the first in a federal court and the third out of more than 9,000 cases filed against Merck in U.S. and state courts claiming the company hid the painkiller’s health risks.
The jury deliberated less than four hours before reaching this important decision. That seems a very short time, considering the complex scientific evidence presented during the trial.
