N.J. Jury Splits Verdict in Vioxx Trial
A New Jersey jury found Merck & Co., Inc. liable for a former Vioxx user's heart attack, awarding a 77 year-old plaintiff $4.5 million in damages based on the drug manufacturer's failure to properly warn of the painkiller's safety risk. The jury cleared Merck of liability in connection with a second plaintiff's heart attack, finding that use of Vioxx was not a factor in the 60 year-old's illness.