Vioxx lawsuits against Merck rapidly growing

The number of Vioxx lawsuits against Merck is exploding. The lawsuits are being filed so fast that no accurate count is available but most estimates put the number at about 400. The complaints range all the way from gastrointestinal bleeding, cardiovascular events and kidney damage to heart attacks and deaths. Some of the names mentioned in the lawsuits are those of Elizabeth Aiken, Sidney Schneider, Sharon Scott Jones, and Robert V. Purcell.

While most of the action has been in the United States, Vioxx (also sold as Ceoxx in some countries) victims outside the US are also lining up to join the class action lawsuits. Two law firms in Australia Duncan Basheer Hannon and Slater and Gordon are taking the lead there.

Kenneth B. Moll & Associates, Ltd. filed the first worldwide class action lawsuit against Merck. The firm claims that it has already received inquiries from persons who believe they were injured by Vioxx in over 14 countries (China, South Africa, Italy, Canada, Iceland, Israel, Chile, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Brazil, The Netherlands, Singapore, the United States, and other countries). The lawsuit, known as the "VIOXX Class Action" was filed in the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Attorney Kenneth Moll said, "A primary goal of the Vioxx Class Action is to inform consumers and physicians worldwide of the potentially deadly side effects of Vioxx." Mr. Moll said that he is concerned that thousands of people have been injured by the drug and are not aware of their injuries. According to the experts at the law firm, a person is susceptible to a Vioxx injury beginning from the initial dosage, up to and including a week after discontinuing use of the drug. The lawsuit will request that a medical monitoring fund be established to enable people who have taken Vioxx to monitor the existence of dangerous side effects.

Kenneth B. Moll & Associates, Ltd. is also representing consumers of Vioxx, on an individual basis, who were seriously injured or died as a result of taking Vioxx. The firm's offices are working in conjunction with attorneys around the world. Another law firm that is actively helping non-US victims of Vioxx is The Law Offices of Bagolie Friedman.

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