Vioxx was approved for marketing and sale in the United States on May 20, 1999, and was withdrawn from the market on September 30, 2004. Still today, Merck & Co. continues to wrap up Vioxx litigation that cost the drug manufacturer more than $5.8 billion. Along with a $4.85 billion settlement of patients’ suits in 2007, Merck paid $950 million four years later as part of a criminal plea to end a U.S. government probe of its Vioxx marketing practices. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1999, Vioxx became Merck’s third-largest-selling drug by 2003, generating $2.5 billion in annual sales. The company pulled Vioxx off the market in 2004 after studies found it posed an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Merck & Co. paid claims to the families of 3,468 Vioxx users who died of heart attacks or strokes.

Drug-related injuries can have a devastating impact on your life, your family, and your future, but drug companies like Merck have their own personal injury attorneys to defend their products. If you’ve been injured by any pharmaceutical product, you may be able to win compensation for your medical care, lost wages, and related expenses, but you’re going to need experienced legal help. Put a good product liability lawyer on your side if you’ve been injured by any prescription drug in southern California, and consult at once with an experienced Pasadena product liability lawyer. You may be able to file a product liability claim and win compensation for your current and long-term medical care and related expenses.

A good product liability lawyer will evaluate your case, explain your legal options, and work to help you win the compensation you need and the justice you deserve. There are strict time limits for filing product liability claims, so if you’ve been injured, act now to obtain the legal help you’ll need. In the Pasadena and Los Angeles area, if you or a member of your family has been injured using any pharmaceutical product, contact an experienced Pasadena product liability attorney at once to discuss your rights and options under California law.