Attorneys for Merck want to see bank and cell phone records that could show the extent of a juror's financial relationship with a plaintiff who won a $32 million verdict against the drug company in the death of a 71-year-old man who took Vioxx.
Jose Manuel Rios, a $22,000-a-year school janitor who served on the panel that found Merck liable for Leonel Garza's fatal heart attack after taking the painkiller Vioxx, testified in a post-trial deposition to borrowing up to $10,000 interest free from Garza's widow, Felicia, the plaintiff in the lawsuit against Merck.
He said the loans included $2,500 that was paid off just weeks before he was selected as a juror in the case.
He said Felicia Garza also loaned money to others in the community.
Tilden Katz, spokesman for Merck's legal team, said Merck attorneys were hoping the documents would help them “get to the bottom of” the financial relationship.
Insider's view: Looks like Felicia might be able to make bigger loans now!
The Day
2 comments:
Wow, that's crazy. Time for a re-do.
FWIW, that award is WAY too high given he was retired, and that he only made $22K/year.
While it's fun to be all touchy-feely on how much human life is worth, in law terms, is actually pretty easy to quantify.
I smell shenanigans.
Doesn't everyone give $10,000 loans to minimum wage spanish janitors, since we all know they are so likely to pay it back on time with interest? This was simply a good business decision by the widow.
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