Vioxx victims can meet with lawyers

A special seminar, sponsored by Netlaw, will be held November 21st, to advise Vioxx users of their rights against the drug giant Merck & Co. The seminar is the first meeting for Vioxx users in the United States. Two sessions will be held between 3-5 PM and 6-8 PM, at the Holiday Inn, 2061N. Druid Hills Rd in Atlanta.

At the meeting, legal-medical experts will cover:

• Medical complications that may be caused by Vioxx;
• How and why Merck may be liable for Vioxx claims;
• How the courts could treat liability claims.

"Victims will have complex choices related to a successful legal strategy," says Guerry Thornton of Netlaw, an Atlanta lawyer who has been involved in other mass tort cases, including the $2.5 billion Dalkon Shield settlement.

"Vioxx could be one of the largest drug cases in history. The meeting is designed to provide the public with information about Vioxx and issues concerning Merck's recall of the drug," says Ben Finley of Atlanta's Finley & Buckley. Mr. Finley has been involved in noteworthy pharmaceutical cases, including the $4.5 billion diet drug settlement. Mr. Finley will speak on the legal rules to prove a claim and drug company defenses. The seminar is for Vioxx victims; it is free of charge.

This Atlanta conference for Vioxx victims follows a national lawyers meeting held on November 13th, to formulate a coordinated legal strategy by lawyers fighting Vioxx related cases. To date, lawyers have filed class actions, individual suits and consumer fraud actions against Merck, based on official court records. It is being held a few days after U. S. Senate hearings were initiated into the legality of Merck's conduct and FDA regulators.