MDL Plaintiff Accepts $1.6 Million Remittitur Rather than Face New Trial

NEW ORLEANS - A Vioxx plaintiff whose $50 million compensatory damages award was vacated as excessive has accepted the remitted award of $1.6 million suggested by the court, effectively avoiding a new trial. In Re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1657; Barnett v. Merck & Co. Inc., No. 06-485 (E.D. La.).

On June 20, South Carolina resident and retired FBI agent Gerald D. Barnett filed a one-sentence notice of his acceptance of the remittitur, which consists of $600,000 in compensatory damages and the original $1 million the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana jury awarded him …