Va. Woman Files Wrongful Death Suit against Vioxx Manufacturer

BIG STONE GAP, Va. - A Virginia woman is suing Merck claiming that her husband's use of Vioxx contributed to his death and that the manufacturer failed to warn consumers of the drug's side effects. Wheatley v. Merck & Co. Inc., et al. No. 04-CV-20 (W.D. Va).

Plaintiff Catherine Wheatley's complaint, which was filed March 18 in the Big Stone Gap Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, seeks $500,000 in compensatory damages and an unspecified amount in punitive damages.

Wheately claims that defendants Merck and AmerisourceBergen Corp., a company that helped promote the arthritis …