Client Victories

Vioxx – Historical $4.85 billion civil litigation settlement

On November 9, 2007, one of the largest nationwide settlements in civil litigation history was finally reached between thousands of injured Vioxx claimants and the goliath corporation, Merck & Co. Inc. This settlement was reached after five years of a contentious legal battle. In this historical agreement, Merck agreed to pay $4.85 billion into a settlement fund for qualifying victims, evaluated on an individual basis.

Bextra/Celebrex – Pfizer, the world’s largest drug company, agrees to pay $894 million

Pfizer, Inc. the world’s largest drug maker, agreed in principle to an $894 million settlement for heart attacks, strokes, and other damages caused by its painkillers Bextra and Celebrex to resolve lawsuits filed by insurers and patients looking for reimbursement for the money they spent on Bextra and Celebrex, as well as claims by state attorneys general over Pfizer's improper promotion of Bextra.  Of the total settlement, $745 million will be paid to cover personal injury lawsuits, $89 million will go to class action consumer fraud cases, and $60 million will cover attorneys general claims in 33 states and the District of Columbia. Cases challenging the nature of Pfizer's drug marketing in Louisiana and Mississippi are currently pending.

Ephedra Containing Products – Over $111 million dollars in settlements

The Chicago unsafe pharmaceutical law firm of The Law Group obtained several favorable settlements on behalf of victims injured as a result of taking ephedra-containing products.  On November 21, 2006, Plaintiffs Steering Committee announced a $21.25 million dollar global settlement with manufacturer, NVE. On November 2, 2006 a global settlement in the amount of $56 million dollars was announced for the Metabolife uninsured cases. In October 2006, a New Jersey Bankruptcy Judge approved Nutraquests’ Plan of Reorganization which includes a global settlement in the amount of $34.5 million dollars.

Guidant Defibrillators – Boston Scientific Corp. agreed to pay $240 million in nationwide settlement.  

In 2007, Boston Scientific agreed to pay $240 million to settle more than 8,000 lawsuits claiming Guidant hid defects in defibrillators, which are devices that shock the heart back into regular rhythm.  Guidant violated the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by concealing information from the FDA about catastrophic short-circuiting failures in three models of its implantable cardiverter defibrillators. The company discovered problems with one of the products in 2002 and became aware of problems with two others in 2004.

Ortho Evra –  Johnson & Johnson paid $68 million to settle.

Johnson & Johnson has spent at least $68.7 million to settle hundreds of lawsuits filed by women who suffered blood clots, heart attacks or strokes after using the company's Ortho Evra birth-control patch. The Chicago unsafe pharmaceutical law firm of The Law Group represented women who used the patch and achieved recovery from the settlements.

Silicone Gel Breast Implant – $4.25 billion dollar settlement achieved.

The Chicago defective medical devices law firm of The Law Group was at the forefront in responding to women’s reports of various side effects related to silicone gel breast implants, which had been considered safe for decades. The Chicago dangerous product law firm was instrumental in the global litigation against these manufacturers which achieved a $4.25 billion settlement with the defendants, as well as pressuring the FDA to place a moratorium on these dangerous products.