PRETRIAL PROCESS FOR VIOXX LITIGATION BEGINS

Dozens of lawyers filed into a Louisiana federal courtroom for a first pretrial hearing in the federal Vioxx liability case, the start of a legal process expected to be complex, years-long and costly for the painkiller's maker, Merck & Co. While largely procedural, the hearing was still important for Merck's attorneys and those representing the legions of plaintiffs. It gave a first chance to make an impression with the judge, as well as to influence the timetable for the litigation. Last month, Judge Eldon E. Fallon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana was assigned to coordinate all the pretrial motions and discovery in federal liability cases involving Vioxx, which was removed from the market last year after a study showed it increased the risk of heart attack and stroke among users. More than a thousand lawsuits have been filed. Drug industry analysts have differing estimates of Merck's potential total liability in the Vioxx cases, but they are all huge: from $4 billion to $30 billion.

Theresa Agovino, The Associated Press, Law.com, 03/21/2005. For complete story, search http://www.law.com $ - Only subscribers can access this article