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Alabama Vioxx Lawyer

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When people turn to their doctors because they have a medical condition that is plaguing them, they trust that their doctors will provide them with helpful solutions, such as medications that will eliminate or alleviate their symptoms. When doctors prescribe medication for their patients, they are typically under the assumption that the medication will work as promised by the pharmaceutical manufacturers. Doctors and patients are aware that there will be side effects and risks associated with medications, but the risks have been made clear to them and they are understood.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) governs over the pharmaceutical drug industry and mandates stringent testing and clinical trials. Unfortunately, regardless of the guidelines imposed on drug companies and testing that is done before drugs are approved and released for use, there are occasions in which serious risks and side effects of a drug go undiscovered. Sometimes, these risks and side effects are not found until the drug has been released to the public and doctors have prescribed the medication to many people, at which point some people suffer serious injury or even death because of problems with the medication.

This is what happened with the Merck & Co, Inc.'s pharmaceutical drug,Vioxx. In 1999, Merck released a medication that was found to be very effective in reducing the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, a condition which affects millions of Americans and that can significantly impact their daily lives. Vioxx was a medication included in a class (COX-2) of anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Vioxx was also approved by the FDA to be prescribed for the treatment of dysmenorrhoea, signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and acute pain in adults.

Although the FDA had approved release of Vioxx in 1999, there were reports generated by reputable research facilities that found a link between an increased risk of heart attacks, blood clots, and strokes as a result of using Vioxx. In 2004, after the drug had been on the market for a few years and widely distributed, as well as after follow-up clinical trials, the company discovered that there was indeed a link between Vioxx and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in patients taking the medication. To address this public safety issue Merck issued a voluntary, worldwide, recall of Vioxx. At the time the recall was issued approximately two million people in the United States had been prescribed Vioxx and an estimated 27,000 people had suffered serious injury, or died, as the result of complications connected to Vioxx.

Due to product liability law, manufacturers are accountable for misleading their customers. As a result, many people have taken Merck to court and won compensation for Vioxx-related health problems. Product liability is unique, so it is important that, if you have experienced serious side effects resulting from a prescription to Vioxx, you consult a lawyer who is well-versed about the drug and its effects. You may be entitled to compensation to recover medical expenses associated with health complications, as well as pain and suffering you may have endured.

When the Vioxx recall was announced, many lawsuits were filed against the Merck company, from individual lawsuits to class action cases, seeking compensation for medical expenses, as well as pain, suffering, and mental anguish in conjunction with the serious affects of Vioxx. In 2005 a Texas woman filed and won the first lawsuit against Merck. The jury found the pharmaceutical company to have been negligent in the death of her husband; the company was ordered to pay the claimant $253.4 million in damages.

In the event that you or someone you know suffered from the serious side effects associated with Vioxx, it is recommended that you speak with an attorney who is well-versed in Alabama laws, as well as pharmaceutical litigation. There may be statutes of limitations to bring up a case regarding Vioxx, so it is important to speak to an attorney as soon as possible.