Fosamax Jaw Problem Lawsuits Closer to Settlement
Date Published: Friday, December 2nd, 2011
A federal judge has appointed a law professor to oversee settlement talks in hundreds of Fosamax jaw decay lawsuits filed throughout the United States, suggesting the lawsuits may be close to settlement.
John Feerick, of the Fordham University School of law was appointed Special Settlement Master on November 22, in the federal MDL for all federal lawsuits involving jaw problems from Fosamax.
Feerick’s intentions are to facilitate a Fosamax settlement agreement between Merck and plaintiffs who claim that the osteoporosis drug caused them to suffer decay of the jaw bone, known as osteonecrosis of the jaw.
If the resolution is not successful, then Judge Keenan may remand individual lawsuits back to the federal district courts where they were originally filed for individual trials throughout the country.
At present time there are close to a thousand product liability lawsuits over Fosamax jaw necrosis filed in federal court against Merck, with another two hundred cases pending in New Jersey and other state courts. All of the complaints involve similar claims that Merck failed to warn consumers and doctors about the risk of Fosamax side effects.
Merck has successfully defended its medication in all but one of the Fosamax jaw cases that have gone to trial so far. In the one trial where the plaintiff was successful in establishing that the medication caused her jaw problems, the jury awarded $8 million in damages from Fosamax. Judge Keenan later ruled that the verdict was excessive and the plaintiff elected to have another trial rather than accepting Keenan’s reduced award of $1.5 million. Merck is currently appealing that verdict on other grounds.
This entry was posted on Friday, December 2nd, 2011 at 8:33 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
Fosamax Jaw Problem Lawsuits Closer to Settlement
Date Published: Friday, December 2nd, 2011
A federal judge has appointed a law professor to oversee settlement talks in hundreds of Fosamax jaw decay lawsuits filed throughout the United States, suggesting the lawsuits may be close to settlement.
John Feerick, of the Fordham University School of law was appointed Special Settlement Master on November 22, in the federal MDL for all federal lawsuits involving jaw problems from Fosamax.
Feerick’s intentions are to facilitate a Fosamax settlement agreement between Merck and plaintiffs who claim that the osteoporosis drug caused them to suffer decay of the jaw bone, known as osteonecrosis of the jaw.
If the resolution is not successful, then Judge Keenan may remand individual lawsuits back to the federal district courts where they were originally filed for individual trials throughout the country.
At present time there are close to a thousand product liability lawsuits over Fosamax jaw necrosis filed in federal court against Merck, with another two hundred cases pending in New Jersey and other state courts. All of the complaints involve similar claims that Merck failed to warn consumers and doctors about the risk of Fosamax side effects.
Merck has successfully defended its medication in all but one of the Fosamax jaw cases that have gone to trial so far. In the one trial where the plaintiff was successful in establishing that the medication caused her jaw problems, the jury awarded $8 million in damages from Fosamax. Judge Keenan later ruled that the verdict was excessive and the plaintiff elected to have another trial rather than accepting Keenan’s reduced award of $1.5 million. Merck is currently appealing that verdict on other grounds.
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