Update on the VIOXX® Class Action August 2005
Since launching our class action in October 2004, Tough & Podrebarac LLP have been contacted by hundreds of potential class members, who took VIOXX® for various periods of time and experienced significant side effects and injuries. We have continued to work on this file, collecting information from our potential class members and building our case against Merck, the manufacturer of VIOXX®.
Tough & Podrebarac LLP has joined forces with 17 law firms across Canada, all of whom have agreed to work cooperatively as a national team of plaintiff's counsel (the "National Team") in class proceedings relating to VIOXX®. The National Team is comprised of lawyers and law firms of all provinces of Canada, excluding Quebec. To date, the National Team has been contacted by approximately 7,000 potential class members.
In order to streamline the efforts of the National Team, various committees have been struck including a Steering Committee which will direct and guide the litigation, a Science Committee which will be responsible for retaining experts and building a scientific case in the litigation, a Legal Research Committee, a Damages and Discovery Committee, a U.S. Relations Committee and various other sub-committees.
The National Team recognizes the importance of and the time and cost savings that may be achieved through cooperating with law firms handling similar claims in the United States. To this end, the U.S. Relations Committee is investigating ways in which to support the efforts of the National Team and maximize efficiencies between the jurisdictions in Canada and the United States where permitted.
Significant work has already been done by members of the National Team in prosecuting the VIOXX® litigation, including retaining scientific and medical experts and accumulating complex scientific information which will be crucial to questions of liability. The Ontario members of the National Team have also arranged for a preliminary motion to be heard in respect of carriage of the VIOXX® litigation by Justice Winkler of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in the fall of 2005.
Finally, the National Team is in the process of publishing a website which will facilitate communications with and from potential class members. Tough & Podrebarac LLP will post the website address for all our potential class members as soon as it is available.
Tough & Podrebarac LLP asks all potential class members to stay tuned for further updates in the near future. We thank you for consulting our website.
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TOUGH & PODREBARAC LLP
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Toronto, ON Canada M5H 1L3
Tel:
416.348.7500 - Fax: 416.348.7505
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