First Payments in Vioxx Deal to Begin August 28

Partial payments for people claiming Vioxx caused heart attacks will go out starting August 28th. Those payments will amount to about 40 percent of each plaintiffs' estimated total payout. The 4.85 billion dollar settlement between Merck and plaintiffs' lawyers was reached last November. Merck pulled the painkiller from the market in 2004 after its own research showed the once-blockbuster arthritis pill doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke. Officials say 49,954 eligible claimants have registered for a... [read full story]