Close

We are happy to announce that we're celebrating 30 years! →

Class Action Filed for New Zealanders Who Took Vioxx - www.stuff.co.nz - September 19, 2005

www.stuff.co.nz
September 19, 2005

Class action filed for Nzers who took Vioxx

American lawyers have filed a class action for all New Zealanders who took the potentially lethal painkilling drug Vioxx.

The legal firm Kenneth B Moll & Associates filed the action against the drug's manufacturers Merck & Co, alleging they had failed to properly research known risks of Vioxx and warn people of its potentially fatal side effects.

'Countless individuals and around the world have suffered severe and fatal injuries which could have been avoided if Merck had acted responsibly,' Mr Moll said.

Studies have shown people taking Vioxx faced a three-fold risk of heart attacks and stroke.

In August, a Texas jury awarded $US253.5 million ($NZ366.17 million) against Merck & Co to the widow of a man who died from heart problems after taking Vioxx.

It was the first lawsuit to reach trial after the drug's withdrawal last September.

The drug, introduced in 1999 and part of the Cox-2 inhibitor class of anti-inflammatory painkillers, was taken by hundreds of thousands of people, including about 15,000 in New Zealand.

'It should never have been marketed in the first place,' said Mr Moll.


Client Reviews
★★★★★
"He’s not afraid to take on the big companies. He has sued Ford, he has sued Merck, Bridgestone, Firestone… He’s fearless. He’s relentless." Deane Brown
★★★★★
"He was able to richly bless us with some medical reimbursements for losing Hope that we didn’t expect. It didn’t replace Hope, it never will replace. But it just gave us a lot of blessing." Melanie Moul
★★★★★
"He was there not to do something for himself, he was there to help me with my problem. And that’s what he did, he took care of it." Anne Levy
★★★★★
"Ken is unique among attorneys that I've worked with because as he pursues cases, he's always focused on the individuals, strategizing ways to best serve the needs of the client. He's a lawyer for people." John Galarnyk
★★★★★
"He’s very kind, and he’s just someone that you can really count on. Always." Michael McStraw
Contact Us