Personal Injury & Auto Accident Info

Personal Injury Attorneys Gather for Vioxx Case

A gathering storm of litigation over the withdrawn drug Vioxx passed through Philadelphia last week and could be unleashed as soon as this spring.

About 250 lawyers from across the country, including indiana personal injury attorneys, took part in a litigation conference on the painkiller, which Merck & Co. removed from the market Sept. 30 after a clinical trial showed it doubled the risk of heart problems.

Merck has said 475 personal-injury cases involving Vioxx had been filed against the company as of Nov. 30, but attorneys attending the Philadelphia conference came armed with many more potential plaintiffs.

They heard scientific perspectives on Vioxx, strategic advice - and a good portion of outrage expressed at Merck from some of the leading lawyers involved in the litigation.

"The liability picture, from a corporate conduct standpoint, we feel, is very, very strong," said Andy Birchfield, one of the chairmen of the Philadelphia conference, told attendees in his opening remarks.

Birchfield, an attorney with the firm Beasley Allen of Montgomery, Ala., may have the first Vioxx case to go to trial, expected to begin as soon as May in Alabama. The conference's other chairman, Christopher Seeger of the New York-based firm Seeger Weiss, said a trial could begin as soon as June in Atlantic County court in New Jersey.

Indiana Personal Injury Attorney

"Government crash and rollovers tests report Ford vehicles worst performers"

According to new government crash and rollovers tests, two 2005 Ford vehicles, the two-door Focus and Ranger 4x4 pickup, were the worst performers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), when a Focus was hit in the side in a 38.5 mph test the rear passenger was at risk of serious head injury. The Focus, receiving three out of five starts for rear passenger protection, the lowest ratings among cars tested, was tested without side air bags, which a Ford Motor Co. website lists as a $350 option on the vehicle.

   

The Ranger 4x4 earned two stars in NHTSA rollover ratings, the lowest of the ten 2005 pickups tested. The Ranger has a 30.6 percent chance of rolling over in a crash, considering the vehicle's height and weight and its performance in a 35 to 50 mph test with a sharp turn, according to the NHTSA. Ford said it would study the new data but stands by the safety of the Focus and Ranger when compared to similar vehicles.

   

The NHTSA released crash test results for seven passenger cars, one pickup and one SUV and rollover ratings for one crossover vehicle and ten pickups. The agency chose the tested vehicles based on popularity and other factors.

Indiana Personal Injury Attorney

Indiana has some fantastic personal injury attorneys.  As always, it is strongly suggested to do your research before choosing an Indiana Personal Injury Attorney to represent you in a lawsuit.  The links to various Indiana attorney bar associations below should help you do that research:

Indiana Lake County (219)738-1905
Evansville (812)426-1712

Indiana Personal Injury Attorney now Superior Court Judge in Vioxx Case

Former Indian Personal Injury Attorney, now superior court judge will oversea many Vioxx lawsuits.

When the pharmaceutical company pulled painkiller Vioxx off the market Sept. 30 -- after a study linked it to heart attacks and strokes -- lawsuits against the drug maker were already under way across the country. More are being filed every week.

A mass tort case based in state court in Atlantic City involves nearly 300 lawsuits, and lawyers predict the number could ultimately reach in the thousands. Merck could end up paying out billions of dollars in judgments and settlements.

At the forefront is likely to be New Jersey, where some of the first cases could go to trial.

By last May, the number of cases reached 30, leading state Supreme Court officials in New Jersey to designate the Vioxx litigation, including all future lawsuits, as a mass tort -- all 300 cases so far in New Jersey landed before Superior Court Judge Carol Higbee in Atlantic County.

Higbee, 54, is a former indiana personal injury attorney who handled medical malpractice suits during the course of her 17-year career at an Atlantic City law firm. She declined to comment for this story.

A native of Indiana, Higbee graduated from Temple University, where she also earned her law degree and became one of the first female lawyers in Atlantic City.

Sunday, December 19, 2004
Star-Ledger Staff

Indiana Personal Injury Attorney

If you have been injured, it may be that you are entitled to compensation. Injuries can occur from the negligence of others, including automobile accidents, the negligence of a doctor or other medical professional, a defective product and from other types of injuries.

It is important that if you have been injured and suspect that it was from the negligence of another that you contact an Indiana Personal Injury Attorney for a free case evaluation. The lawyers will analyze your case and advise whether you are entitled to compensation.