Merck Seeks Sanctions Against Plaintiffs' Counsel for Discovery Violations

LOS ANGELES - Merck & Co. Inc. has asked the judge overseeing California's coordinated state Vioxx proceedings to bar plaintiffs' counsel from having further ex parte communications with plaintiffs' treating physicians, or, alternatively, to amend the court's order to also permit Merck such pre-deposition contact. Vioxx® Cases, JCCP No. 4247; Jurewicz v. Merck & Co. Inc., No. BC359006 (Calif. Super. Ct., Los Angeles Cty.).

Merck says in the July 25 motion for reconsideration that plaintiffs' counsel have "openly defied" Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Victoria G. Chaney's Feb. 14 order, which restricted ex parte communications with plaintiffs' treating physicians …