In terms of statistic, more than 45,000 people have sued Merck (manufacturer of Vioxx) on the account that Vioxx has lead to heart attacks and strokes. The drug manufacturer of Vioxx has so far spent a whopping $1 billion as a legal fee on Vioxx cases and has made clear that they will fight every lawsuit.

Merck, one of the biggest drug makers in US is of the opinion that if they react aggressively regarding Vioxx lawsuit, there is a strong possibility that people will stop lodging lawsuits. If experts are to be believed, legal loopholes are assisting the drug manufacturer of Vioxx. It is worth mentioning in this regard that the people who have already won the lawsuit against Merck have not received any compensation as yet because company instantly appeals when they loose the case.

Because of all this, estimates of Merck’s liability have dropped tremendously. Not so long ago, the liability figure was as high as $25 billion but at this point of time it is only around $5 billion.

If the report of Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is taken into account, use of Vioxx can also lead to kidney problems. This new revelation has given boost to all those people who have lodge a lawsuit against Vioxx manufacturer.

In general, Vioxx lawsuits comes under the category of product liability, claiming that the manufacturers as well the distributors of Vioxx was aware that Vioxx could cause some sort of damage to the people who are going to use it.

As is the case in any products liability suit, it is of paramount importance that you must have some evidence against the manufacturer and distributors of Vioxx before you file a lawsuit against them. You have to clearly mention that evidence in a Vioxx lawsuit. In addition, you have to say that Vioxx manufacturer has totally ignored the safety aspect and you are harmed because of all this.

But pursuing a Vioxx lawsuit against Vioxx manufacturer is real tough as they usually opt for out of court settlement. They do so because Vioxx lawsuit ruins their reputation. Before you file a Vioxx lawsuit, it is recommended that you select a top-notch attorney who has experience in dealing with Vioxx cases.

There is a strong possibility that the attorney you have chosen for Vioxx lawsuit is aware of when to go to trial, and when to choose the out of court settlement. After all, the main objective of Vioxx lawsuit is to recover the financial damage you have suffered because of Vioxx.

Merck CEO Rymond Gilmartin while announcing the withdrawl of Vioxx said that company is taking this action in the best interest of patients. Vioxx, which hit the market in the year of 1999 in America, was touted as the best alternative for the treatment of arthritis. As a matter of fact, Vioxx was marketed in 80 countries and used by staggering 84 million people all around the world.

If you have been taking Vioxx, it is recommended that you contact your physician regarding discontinuing use of Vioxx and look out for other treatment option. Although the patient refund program run by Merck has come to an end and you will not get any sort of payment for returning unused Vioxx, still it is advisable that you return it back.

Expectedly, thousands of lawsuits was filed against Merck after the Vioxx recall. Number is increasing with every passing day but legal loopholes are saving Merck. Despite winning their cases, plenty of people are still waiting for compensation because as soon as Merck loose the case they lodge a fresh appeal.

Merck believes that following this route will minimize the number of lawsuits filed against them. Food and Drug administration on their part has started monitoring other NSAAID drugs for identical side effects. According to FDA, NSAAID Drugs should only be used after taking an advice from a health care provider.

Once the lawyers respond on your query, it’s your responsibility to review that details properly. The curriculum vitae of the Vioxx lawyer will give you comprehensive information about his academic record, professional training, experience, awards and publications.

An ideal Vioxx lawyer is the one, which has an exceptional track record. In addition, it is recommended that you check the outcome this lawyer has delivered for customers who have required the same types of services. More importantly, make sure that he normally works with defective medical product cases.

When you call Vioxx lawyer for your appointment, it is of paramount importance that you describe your Vioxx problem clearly. For example, tell him when did you take Vioxx and for how long did you take it for? If you are comfortable with the lawyer you can also tell him how much Vioxx did you take per day. But yes do tell the lawyer what sort of injuries did you suffer?

Bringing a one-page summary of all of your details can turn out to be quite helpful when you meet with your prospective Vioxx lawyer for the first time. By analyzing your detail, your prospective Vioxx lawyer can tell you clearly whether he is good enough to take your case or not.

From that moment onward, lawyers have been pinpointing that Merck was aware of issues experienced by patients taking Vioxx, including the much publicized heart attack risk. Lawyers believe that Merck deliberately hide the side effect information of Vioxx from patients and health care provider.

Number of individual and class action lawsuit cases was lodged against Merck when they officially decided to withdraw Vioxx from the market. Withdrawl of Vioxx also increased the resolution of the litigation. First and foremost, plenty of lawyers see the grounds given for the withdrawl of Vioxx as an evidence for their belief that Vioxx was not a safe drug.

In addition, Vioxx lawyers come out in public saying that Vioxx is marketed quite irresponsibly by Merck. Most of the lawyers make their point clear in the court that patients have number of options other than Vioxx for the treatment of pain and arthritis. They depicted number of drugs as evidence, which were more economical and safer as compared to the Vioxx.

There is a good chance that if large chunk of Vioxx lawsuits are lodged in different courts, a court may consolidate the litigation. Merck has decided to opt for aggressive strategy in dealing with the Vioxx lawsuits.

It is worthwhile pointing that Vioxx was prescribed for pain management and menstrual cramps in adults, but various surveys have come to the conclusion that taking Vioxx can enhance the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Number of big money lawsuits is going to be lodged as both print and electronic media has reported that the manufacturer of Vioxx was aware of the drug side effects very early on in the piece. Taking into account the large number of patients that are expected to make a claim against Vioxx manufacturer, there is a strong possibility that you will see large numbers of Vioxx class action lawsuits.

In the Vioxx class action lawsuits, number of people who suffered because of Vioxx files a lawsuit cohesively. The best part about Vioxx class action lawsuit is that a group of people that have suffered side effects of Vioxx can make their claim under one platform rather than filing cases individually, which not only wastes money but also time as well.

Even better, the claims made in a Vioxx class action suit often cover all the areas of your damage. If the group is able to win any compensation in the Vioxx class action lawsuits, it is spilt equally between individuals who are part of the Vioxx class action.

for more information about Merck’s Vioxx and lawsuit cases visit vioxxnews.org or register to the rss feed.

Jan. 18, 2007: A hung jury in Los Angeles forced a mistrial in the cases of two men who blamed their heart attacks on Vioxx.

Dec. 21, 2006: A judge in a Texas widow’s lawsuit over Vioxx reduced a $32 million jury award to about $7.75 million so that it conformed to state law.

Dec. 15, 2006: In Birmingham, Ala., Merck won its second Vioxx trial in less than a week when jurors rejected the claims of a 57-year-old man who blamed the drug for a 2001 heart attack. The jury deliberated just 90 minutes before siding with Merck in the lawsuit filed in 2005.

Dec. 13, 2006: In New Orleans, a federal jury ruled for Merck in rejecting a claim by a 50-year-old Tennessean who blamed Vioxx for his 2003 heart attack. Jurors answered “no” on a verdict questionnaire when asked if evidence showed that Merck failed to adequately warn the man’s doctors of any known risk posed by Vioxx, or that the lack of such a warning was a cause of the man’s heart attack.

Nov. 15, 2006: In New Orleans, a federal jury cleared Merck in the 2003 heart attack suffered by a Utah bank credit manager who had taken Vioxx for 10 1/2 months.

April 21, 2006: In Rio Grande City, Texas, a state jury deliberated about seven hours over two days before finding Merck liable for the death of a 71-year-old man who had a fatal heart attack within a month of taking Vioxx and ordered the company to pay $32 million. The man had suffered from heart disease for more than 20 years.