Merck settles $4.85bn Vioxx claim

Merck & Co. has decided to settle outstanding claims against the company related to the drug Vioxx.

Attorneys from the Lanier Law Firm said the nationwide settlement agreement with the pharmaceutical giant should resolve at least 85% of the personal injury lawsuits in the US over Vioxx, the company's controversial pain medication.

Houston attorney Mark Lanier, founder of the Lanier Law Firm and lead counsel in the nation's first Vioxx trial, commented: "This was simply the right thing to do, and we're grateful that the people at Merck recognized that it was the right thing to do. A lot of lawyers worked hard to get this settlement, which will help thousands of our clients and every other injured Vioxx patient in the United States."

“This was simply the right thing to do, and we're grateful that the people at Merck recognized that it was the right thing to do. A lot of lawyers worked hard to get this settlement, which will help thousands of our clients and every other injured Vioxx patient in the United States.

Houston attorney Mark Lanier, founder of the Lanier Law Firm and lead counsel in the nation's first Vioxx trial

The settlement with Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck marks the end of a series of legal battles that began after the company withdrew Vioxx from store shelves in September 2004. Vioxx was pulled from the market after a study revealed that users of the drug were more susceptible to heart attacks and strokes than people using other pain medications.

Lisa Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform, said: "Every day companies face a legal environment where plaintiffs' lawyers attempt to extort billions of dollars in bloated settlements that often benefit attorneys more than the injured party themselves. From the beginning, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has recognized Merck's principled defense strategy to have each VIOXX claim evaluated and decided in court based solely on the merits of the individual claim. That aggressive strategy has clearly been successful and has allowed Merck to create a positive legal environment where they could drive this issue to conclusion and craft a reasonable settlement where individuals with valid claims will actually receive compensation. We believe this resolution could only have come about because of their strong and principled legal strategy in this case."