Alaska Judge Grants Remittitur of $13 Million Ephedra Award

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A state court judge in Alaska has reduced the first-ever verdict awarded to a plaintiff allegedly injured by an ephedra-containing product. Talbert v. E'Ola Products Inc., et al., No. 3AN-97-4046 (Alaska Superior Court, Anchorage).

Judge John Reese of the Anchorage Superior Court cut the $13.3 million verdict by $182,000, the amount awarded to Rosalie and Daniel Talbert for their future medical care costs.

The decision followed more than a year's worth of motions challenging the verdict, which was entered in February 2001 against E'Ola Products, Inc. after a jury found they had misrepresented to the Talberts that …