Have you suffered from taking Vioxx inNew York City? Are you looking for a defective drug lawyer? Then read our guide for tips on finding the best attorney for you…
As you may suspect a Vioxx® lawyer is a legal professional who specializes in seeking redress and compensation on behalf of their clients for damages caused by Vioxx® from the makers of the arthritis drug. It is likely that a Vioxx® attorney also has experience in the area generally termed defective drug law.
A Sorry History
At one time the drug Vioxx® was regarded as the solution to many of the problems that arose from the family of diseases that fell under the label arthritis. Unfortunately the effects of this medication have, in many instances, proven worse than the symptoms of the disease it was designed to treat. Its use has been tied directly to an increase in the risk of heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, liver damage, kidney failure, high blood pressure, and sudden death.
Additionally Vioxx® is thought to provoke allergic reactions that involve swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and throat. Such reactions can, in turn, interfere with breathing or swallowing. FDA reports indicate that Vioxx® is also linked to cases of a non-bacterial type of meningitis. Although rare, this side effect is at least as serious as bacterial meningitis itself.
The history of the drug known as Vioxx@ is almost unprecedented in the damage and the deceit associated with its use. Vioxx® was licensed for sale in 1999. Since that date more than 20 million Americans may have taken it at one time or another. Less than 2 years after that date the FDA was in communication with Merck, the maker of Vioxx® regarding its harmful effects. It seems that during tests designed to compare Vioxx® with another painkiller called naproxen “potentially serious cardiovascular findings” were observed. Patients taking Vioxx® “were observed to have a four to five-fold increase” in heart attacks, compared to another control group taking naproxen.
Merck consistently downplayed or denied such findings until its own testing uncovered the apparent fact that people on Vioxx® for more than 18 months were two times more likely to suffer a heart attack or a stroke compared those given a placebo. Merck voluntarily removed the drug from the market on September 30, 2004. This sorry history eventually lead to a great tide of lawsuits once the obvious health risks associated with the drug could no longer be denied.
The Current Situation
Questions still remain whether removal of the drug constitutes anything like an admission of liability. In fact, Merck claims that proof of the health risks from Vioxx® did not surface until 5 years after it was licensed and three years after the initial indication of health problems.
You may be one of the 20 million people in the United States who have taken Vioxx® at one time or another and if you are experiencing any of the symptoms outlined above you may have a rightful claim for damages. If any loved one took Vioxx® and suffered illness or death from any of the harmful effects of Vioxx® mentioned above you may have a claim as well.
What You Need to Do
You should contact a Vioxx® attorney at your earliest convenience.
