Vioxx settlements will go out soon

NEW JERSEY TRENTON - Merck & Co. will start cutting checks for former users of its withdrawn painkiller Vioxx next month after announcing Thursday that it will fund a $4.85 billion settlement expected to ...

[Phil]

My wife died from using vioxx, but I haven't been hearing to much about death cases

[SKM]

My husband died also, not heard much of anything at this point! Been a long hard journey!!

[M_M_H]

My father has been dead for two years and we are still waiting,yes it has been a long hard journey.

[M_M_H]

My dad has been dead for two years and we are still wating.Yes it has been a long hard journey.

[bones - Dennis Harrison]

FYI - to make it easy for all; these are from
http://www.youtube.com/watch...

.. there are no limitations on murder. Merch murdered thousands by continuing to distribute this defective drug even after they knew if was killing people.

THAT IS MURDER!!!!!!!!!! My Mother took vioxx because she couldn't shuffle cards very well. Six years ago I lost whatever remained of my life as she had a stroke and needed constant care. Had we known that her condition today was even a remote possibility, she would not have taken it then.

FAIRNESS - here is a view
1: ill-gotten gains should be forfeited and provided to the litigants -- or my best guess would be to add about $5B to the $4.85B...
2: subrogation should be paid entirely by Merck
3: opt-ins should only be required only 20%, even 32% just does not make it. In addition, it has to be a real 20%, though that is even high for paper pushing.
4: the GATE process would "get real"; independently certified as valid and not dominated by MURK's quite biased view.

The inability to contact our attorneys for information. Calls were often received by paralegals. Information coming from the paralegals were conflicting with reports of the Settlement. This began to raise suspicion; and as time passed and deadlines were rapidly approaching, resulted in many documented (via VPEG) examples of attorney-client breaches.

The group (VPEG) has grown since the Settlement Offer and the postings have increased as plaintiffs realized they were lied to. Sign the Release or else they lose legal representation. They were bullied, intimidated, coerced, threatened and told they would never see a courtroom; any lawyer involved in the Settlement was restricted from taking you on as a client. You don't sign, you have lost any chance of receiving compensation for your loss. Atty-client breaches became apparent.

Plaintiffs examined the Settlement in detail; Merck had orchestrated the Settlement to its advantage and not for the benefit of the people that suffered from Vioxx use. Plaintiffs realized they were not the benefactors of the Settlement. Unable to reach their attys, fear of being dropped and afraid they would not be able to continue their case in court, Plaintiffs unwillingly signed the Release exonerating Merck and accepting the terms of the Agreement by Merck and the PSC.

One is very hard pressed to find even just a few members that accepted based upon appropriate representation, let alone "happy" with the settlement. Acceptance is almost exclusively the domain of just giving up, feeling that something is better than nothing, having too many financial and other hardships (from their MI/stroked problems) to continue otherwise, and the realization that unfairly they were being effectively denied reasonable efforts to gain legal representation elsewhere.

As a VPEG member nearly since its beginning and spending so, so much time reflecting its views into the MDL - ever so carefully protecting via anonymous as requested, many letters signed, and so, so much more - it is, I am sorry to say - an absolute disgrace that the MDL allowed the DEAL (some say "settlement") to continue. In fact just the mere fact that the "settlement" was allowed to continue without addressing VPEG's concern makes it smell EVEN more of a RAT and STAR CHAMBER, AND CROOKED.

So much, just so much now becomes clear. That day, when I actually DID feel I was cast into a play or something, it was just, well weird. i see that now as its own Star Chamber. Also, I see the MDL itself as a Star Chamber where hey are going through the mass tort civil proceres. All looks real and good; but it wasn't as at same time the plotting for the "settlement" was to just wipe away all of the civil proceedings which then were irrelevant and staged after all. Strange but true.

[Motherless]

Mother has been dead for 6 years now and still nothing from the jerks .How long will it take ? Nothing will bring Mother back .

[terri Deer Park WA]

My husband did not die from this medication but it has turned our life upside down from his heart attack. the stress from his ordeal has taken a tole on the two of us. I know they say the money will be here one day. the attorney we have doesn't respond when called he's but, he get his money by now! I figure that this will be a drop in the hat for all of us, who has lost someone or lost a way of life due to the drug companys negligence. I don't feel the families are getting what is really deserved.

[Pharmgirl]

It is getting like a ghost town on this sight. Nobody has heard anymore than they did 5 years ago. Us victims have been raped of our rights. It's been one big lie right after another, and now there's nothing not even a lie. Hey Bones what happened to you? Did you get Vioxx burnout? Yeah that sound good, vioxx burnout cases.

[mother of 4]

I had 2 myocardial infarctions, stroke, mitral valve and tricuspid valve replaced with mechanical valves on heart lung machine for 14 hours have restless leg syndrome, dressler syndrome, had a tamponode openen up 4 times, have short term memory loss, take 32 pills per day.
Medicine is astromical in price. Have a pacemaker.
Had to have all my teeth removed because they could never work on them again. Really did a job on me and I need some type of reimbursement for the trouble the Vioxx caused me and will continue to cause me the rest of my life.

[SKM]

mother of 4 wrote:

I had 2 myocardial infarctions, stroke, mitral valve and tricuspid valve replaced with mechanical valves on heart lung machine for 14 hours have restless leg syndrome, dressler syndrome, had a tamponode openen up 4 times, have short term memory loss, take 32 pills per day.
Medicine is astromical in price. Have a pacemaker.
Had to have all my teeth removed because they could never work on them again. Really did a job on me and I need some type of reimbursement for the trouble the Vioxx caused me and will continue to cause me the rest of my life.

Wow, how do they figure out what to pay you for??That is terrible, I am sorry you have had to go through all of that!!! My husband was one M.I. and he was out. He didn't have to suffer, but he did have to die.. I miss him so...

[Father of a 19 year old]

My son at 19 was taking vioxx for a football injury. He suffered a massive stroke to the left side of the brain it occluded the whole middle feed. He underwent a crainiotomy when he stopped breathing due to pressure, 6months later they replaced the bone flap. He has major problems communicating (Aphasia) cannot use his right hand, cannot feel his right side, toe drag, frequent embarrassment, seizures etc. dennis' above comment leaves not much else to say except when I am gone, who will care for my son. He has a long life ahead of him my wife and I are his best friend. I pray there will be someone who thinks enough of him to spend their life with him. He can dress and care for himself but cannot deal with explaining and dealing with insurance companies, or communicating with utility, cable, phone, pharmacies and other companies. He was forced to take the settlement based on lack of council available, MDL, Tort Reform and the possibility of being tied up in court for 10 more years and not getting a thing. What could be possible fair for a person in this position/condition. Dad.

[TAYSMOM]

Father of a 19 year old, I will pray that this one of the million dollar settlements they are talking about, sounds like your family sure deserves it.

[Father of a 19 year old]

There were a few things I left out... The Stroke left him unable to read and therefore write, do complicated math. His pills for seizure cost over 1,000 a month, speech therapy costs over 500 a month, his stay in the hospital and rehab for the first year topped 1 million. If he only gets 1.5 between the lawyer, Medicaid and my insurance co trying to get their hands in it there will be nothing left for him. I know everyone faces the same problems but it is good to vent with people that understand. I wish the best for all of you. Soak in as much good in life as you can and give as much as you get.

[Tammy]

My mom has been dead for a little over 5 years thanks to Vioxx. She was my best friend and my son's second mom. They were extemely close and he was only 12 when she died. I don't think they realize how devastated this left many families. She was in great health with the exception of her arthritis. My son has struggled to go on since then. Hours and hours of therapy.

[Phil -Madison Indiana]

My wife died 7 years ago after taking vioxx 50mg a day for a year. I haven't heard anything yet as well. Don't even know if I made thru the gates,yet alone how many points they'll award me.

[Phil -Madison Indiana]

To the father of a 19 year old, I am truly sorry to hear about your son and pray that things begin to turn around for you, but at least you still have him in your lives. When I lost my wife it devastated my life, I lost my job, house, and car. I went from job to job trying to just stay alive. Things now are alittle better, but it's still hard. I believe that they should not only pay medical bills and damages, but pay surviving families the amount of money that an injured person would have made in the future if they had lived a normal life. Up to, if not more, to the point of retirement. Your son could have become a Lawyer, Doctor, or even a great Sceintist, and made millions, but they don't care about that. All they care about is getting out of this with money in the bank for them, millions for them hardly nothing for us. Good luck with your case, and God Bless

[SLC]

My father took vioxx for over 3 years for a bum knee. Other than that he was in great shape. He dead 1 year before the vioxx news was released. He has been gone for 5 years and we have been waiting for 4 years.

[paula]

All you need to do is wait a little longer. I know how hard it is too just sit and not know anything from day to day. I have been at the gates now for over 3 months, and not a thing yet. But I do know there is hope out there, you just have to wait for it.

[Pharmgirl]

SLC wrote:

My father took vioxx for over 3 years for a bum knee. Other than that he was in great shape. He dead 1 year before the vioxx news was released. He has been gone for 5 years and we have been waiting for 4 years.

SLC, if this will be any help to you, I received my points and passed the gates on October 16th,since then it's been more release form to sign, and mine didn't deal with insurance, medicaid or anything else to stand in the way, so yeah I am still waiting but hopefully I think I suppose to get a check this Friday, I have sent back in the signed form via so maybe I'll luck up, but anyway all cases are different, so when you hear from yours maybe you won't have to keep waiting, this sure has been a drug out thing, just seems like everytime I think I am going to finally receive my check, it's something else, but anyway I think I am closer than 4 years ago. This week will only tell for me, I am wore out from all this waiting. I heard things are really suppose to speed up in the next few days, but I believe we have been hearing that from day 1. Maybe Friday I can give you some booster news, and you will know about where you stand on this thing.

[Pharmgirl]

paula wrote:

All you need to do is wait a little longer. I know how hard it is too just sit and not know anything from day to day. I have been at the gates now for over 3 months, and not a thing yet. But I do know there is hope out there, you just have to wait for it.

Paula, you are right, we have no other choice but to wait, I should hear or receive something Friday, we'll see. I think we all should get compensated for waiting so long. I do not think this is over, someone, somewhere will discover some things, but we'll also find that out later, all along I have this feeling that we will come out good in the end, since we have been victims for so long. Time is not on the side of heart attack and stroke victims, so they need to get it in gear. Been in reverse too long.