Legal•Info

Massachusetts Vioxx Lawyer

Call (888) 471-5989 to speak with a personal injury attorney.

When the major pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. announced the debut of the arthritis painkiller Vioxx in 1999, it was hailed as the new wonder drug. A major multi-million dollar advertising and marketing campaign was subsequently launched, creating quite a buzz among everyone who saw it even if they didn't have arthritis, or even know what the drug was for. Vioxx was swiftly pushed through the FDA approval process, despite reports from independent research companies stating that it had some severe long-term effects. These reports were quickly brushed aside, and Vioxx became the most popular prescription drug on the market in a matter of weeks.

It wasn't until almost two years later that more reports started to pop up, saying that there was a suspicious link between a rise in heart attack, cardiac arrest, and stroke cases, and these patients' use of Vioxx. The FDA quickly became alerted to these happenings, and launched a three-year investigation into Vioxx and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the market. In order to refute these claims, Merck also launched their own investigation into Vioxx. Although they tried to disprove it, Merck found that Vioxx did indeed increase the chances of heart attacks and strokes. They voluntarily recalled Vioxx on September 30th, 2004. The recall was followed by a public health warning issued by the FDA, and a slew of lawsuits as well.

In several studies done even before its release, Vioxx had been proven to increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and blood clots in its users. It came out shortly after the recall of Vioxx that Merck had known all along about these risks, and failed to disclose them to doctors, regulators and the public because they were counting on the drug to be successful. Unfortunately, Merck's negligence and unethical business practices caused the deaths of 30,000 people in the years it was on the market. Thousands of people are still feeling its effects and are suffering the same problems even years later.

Lawsuits began to be filed against Merck shortly after the recall was announced, and many are still going on today. A woman in Texas was awarded a huge sum because she was able to link her husband's heart attack to his Vioxx usage. She was able to get help with hospital bills, lost wages and a large sum for punitive damages. If you have suffered injury or loss of a loved one due to Vioxx, you might also be able to receive a large settlement in return for you pain, suffering and loss.

Merck has set aside almost one billion dollars for fighting these lawsuits. While no amount of money will fix what has been done, you can secure the financial future of your family. Get in contact with a local Massachusetts lawyer who is experienced with lawsuits and litigation regarding defective pharmaceuticals and similar cases. The lives lost due to the use of Vioxx could have been prevented before the drugs initial launch in 1999. However, the drug was still approved by the Food and Drug Administration despite these warning signs. If you are a resident of the state of Massachusetts and have taken the drug Vioxx, it would be in your best interest to contact an attorney, especially if you or a loved one has suffered a heart attack, blood clot or stroke. A Massachusetts Vioxx lawyer or attorney will be able to handle your claim and to tell you what monetary compensation you may be owed due to the negligence of Merck & Co. Get the peace of mind and compensation you deserve, and start looking for a lawyer today.