Vioxx Judge Will No Longer Allow Grouping of Plaintiffs

NEW ORLEANS - The judge overseeing the Vioxx MDL has entered an order that prohibits plaintiffs from filing unrelated claims in one lawsuit. In re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1657 (E.D. La.).

Judge Eldon E. Fallon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana entered the order Sept. 5, noting that the grouping of claimants has created administrative complications that have led to judicial inefficiencies.

According to the order, the court previously permitted multiple unrelated claimants in the MDL to join together and file claims in a single complaint. He said the process was allowed …