New Jersey Supreme Court dismisses Merck's appeal over $4.5 million Vioxx ruling.

The AP (9/30) reports, "The Supreme Court of New Jersey backed a $4.5 million award to the widow of a man who suffered heart problems after using Merck's painkiller Vioxx." In doing so, "the court dismissed Merck's appeal and upheld" a lower court finding that "Merck and Co. failed to warn patient John McDarby about Vioxx's cardiac risks, which later caused the drug to be taken off the market." McDarby "suffered a heart attack in 2004, and died of complications related to his heart problems in late 2007."

Judge approves $24M settlement in Chrysler wrongful death case.

The AP (9/24) reported, "The bankruptcy court judge overseeing certain Chrysler assets has approved a $24 million settlement in the death of a California longshoreman run over by a Dodge pickup. The settlement comes more than two years after a Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded damages of more than $55 million to the family of Richard Mraz. The family argued the automaker had failed to fix and adequately warn consumers about a transmission defect that made it appear trucks were in park position, when they actually were between gears."

California college student awarded $49M in personal injury case.

The Recorder (9/24, Moser) reports, "A Santa Clara, Calif., jury awarded $49 million in damages Monday to a college student who was on his way to a camping trip when two trucks collided and one struck the car he was riding in, causing him traumatic brain injuries. It appears to be the biggest single-plaintiff personal injury jury verdict by far in at least the past 10 years in Santa Clara County Superior Court, according to a scan of VerdictSearch, a Recorder affiliate." Randall Scarlett of San Francisco personal injury firm Scarlett Law Group, who represented the student, said, "The numbers are certainly significant, but I think they only represent the staggering cost of care to individuals sustaining traumatic brain injury."

FDA requires "black box" warning for promethazine.

The AP (9/17, Johnson) reports, "Makers of injected promethazine, a sedative also used to treat nausea and vomiting, are being required to put the strongest warning possible on the product because it can cause tissue damage leading to amputation," according to the FDA. Regulators said that "makers of generic promethazine will have to put a 'black box' warning at the top of the detailed package insert explaining that when the drug is administered incorrectly, it can damage skin severely, including causing gangrene."

South Carolina SC upholds $10M verdict against insurer in policy revocation case.

The AP (9/15, Collins) reports, "The South Carolina Supreme Court on Monday upheld a multimillion-dollar verdict against an insurer whom the justices said revoked a man's health policy after he tested positive for HIV based solely on a nurse writing down the wrong year for the test. The court in this conservative, often pro-business state called Fortis Insurance Company's actions 'highly reprehensible,' but did reduce punitive damages awarded to Jerome Mitchell Jr. from $15 million to $10 million.

Eighth circuit upholds $3.2M award to injured Nebraskan.

The AP (9/2, Ortiz) reported, "A federal appeals panel on Wednesday upheld a $3.2 million award to a Nebraska man left with serious injuries after he was thrown from another man's inflatable fishing boat in 2003