The Supreme Court denied cert in a cigarette case yesterday, letting a $50,000,000 punitive damages award stand against Phillip Morris. The compensatory damages in the case were $5,500,000.
This will be an encouragement to the plaintiff in the Oregon tobacco case; recall that the Oregon Supreme Court affirmed a $79.5 million punitive damage verdict for that plaintiff recently.
Read more here.
The news from the New Jersey Vioxx trials.
The plaintiffs are wrapping up their case in New Jersey. Here is a report of the events of last Friday.
Here is the latest on the Vioxx trial – with two plaintiffs – currently underway in New Jersey. Recall that this is the case where each plaintiff claims more than 18 months of use of the drug, a critical factor in the minds of all concerned.
Here is the latest.
Here is a summary of events from Friday in the two Vioxx cases being tried (together) against Merck in state court in New Jersey.
Thursday’s action in the New Jersey cases currently being tried against Merck.
You know the drill by now – here is an article reflecting what happened yesterday.
An excerpt: “They also got to watch a movie: ”V Squad,” a campy, 12-minute sales-training video played in court, which showed two Merck salespeople dressed as superheroes — each in a black suit, with an orange ”V” on the chest — fending off human ”obstacles” who represented questions from doctors to whom the company pitched its blockbuster arthritis drug.”
Here is an article that describes the events of the second trial day (after the completion of jury selection) in the two Vioxx trials currently underway in state court in New Jersey.
Here is a summary of the opening statements in the Vioxx trial currently underway in New Jersey.
Day on Torts