Complain about a product or service

Class Actions Galore After Vioxx Withdrawal

October 8, 2004
The courthouse was busy in Madison County, Illinois, today. The downstate county has the reputation of being friendly to class actions and lawyers lost no time filing lawsuits there on behalf of Vioxx users.

Related Stories • Pfizer Pays $894 Million to Settle NSAID Claims • Researchers Claim Vioxx Safety Study Was Actually Marketing Plan • First Vioxx Judgment Overturned On Appeal • Merck Agrees to Pay $58 Million to Settle Vioxx Claims • Researchers Claim Merck Cooked Vioxx Data • Common Pain Relievers May Boost Muscle Mass • More Painkillers Can Cause More Pain • Merck Caves, Agrees To $4.85 Billion Vioxx Settlement • New York Sues Vioxx Maker over Drug’s Risks • Merck Wins Vioxx Case In Illinois • Judge Rules Out Vioxx "Super" Class Action • FDA Critic Blasts Merck's Vioxx Replacement • Merck Loses New Orleans Vioxx Case • Merck Wins Latest Vioxx Suit • Vioxx Study Authors Backtrack On Claim • Older Painkillers May Increase Heart Attack Risk • More about Vioxx --- Other NSAIDs • Bextra • Celebrex • Dangers of Other Vioxx-Type Drugs • Vioxx Alternatives • Aleve Ingredient Seen as Health Risk

One of the suits names Patricia Bilbrey, 75, of Glen Carbon as the lead plaintiff. She is the mother of Mike Bilbrey, the managing partner of the firm that filed the suit.

"She was prescribed Vioxx for arthritic knee problems," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted Bilbrey as saying. "And she has taken the medication for over 18 months, which the study indicates puts her at increased health risk."

Bilbrey said his mother stopped taking the drug after her ankles swelled.

In Burlington, Vermont, Sara Cheeseman is the lead plaintiff in a suit filed in U.S. District Court.

"This action seeks damages and the establishment of a medical monitoring program on behalf of (Cheeseman) and the class to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment for Vioxx-related adverse health effects for all Vermonters who acquired and used Vioxx," the lawsuit read.

James Conway III said that although Cheesman appears to be in good health now, she and others who took Vioxx should be reimbursed for the cost of monitoring their health in the future.

Merck last week recalled Vioxx after a study showed people who took the prescription drug for more than 18 months were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke or blood clots.

The suits allege that Merck knew for years that Vioxx had harmful side effects.

Merck is bracing for many more lawsuits and says it will "vigorously defend" its actions. About 84 million Vioxx prescriptions have been filled since the drug's introduction.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Back to the top |

Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use

Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.

Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.

For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 2003-2008 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.    The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission.