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• Merck's general counsel gets a raise

  Staff Writer | November 06, 2006 10:41 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  The Philadelphia Inquirer reported today that drug maker Merck & Company's general counsel just earned a promotion and 13 percent raise to $780,000 a year. The general counsel has been instrumental in the company's defense against more than 21,000 Vioxx lawsuits. The defective drug Vioxx was recalled after it was reported to cause heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and other dangerous medical...

• Child hit by truck prompts parade debate

  Staff Writer | November 03, 2006 9:45 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  A tragic accident emerged from the University of Alabama Homecoming parade last weekend when an 8-year-old girl was run over by an 18-wheeler truck while going after a piece of candy tossed from a float. The debate ensues over whether candy and other items should be thrown from parade floats, risking the lives of children and others who run to pick them up amidst moving vehicles.Law enforcement...

• Heroes emerges from two-vehicle accident

  Staff Writer | November 02, 2006 9:09 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  A deadly car accident on Alabama Highway 69 near Northport killed a Mississippi man on Monday, according to a Tuscaloosanews.com report. The two-vehicle accident might have claimed two more lives had it not been for the heroic actions of a passerby. Paul Free noticed a Dodge pickup in flames as he drove by, and saw that another vehicle was on its side right beside it. Fearing that the second...

• Philadelphia judge rules against drug companies

  Staff Writer | November 01, 2006 9:59 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  On Oct. 17, 2006, victims of drug companies' failure to warn were victorious in a Philadelphia U.S. District Court ruling. Judge Stewart Dalzell ruled against the claims by drug maker Novartis that FDA regulations and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act "preempt state failure ot warn tort claims."An Association of Trial Lawyers Association memo details the issues at hand:The issue of FDA...

• Deadly accidents plague Alabama 20

  Staff Writer | October 31, 2006 8:40 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  A stretch of highway on Alabama 20 has had more than its fair share of motor vehicle accidents, many of them with fatalities. The latest accident occured on Wednesday, October 25, when an Iraq war veteran from Decatur's car ran off the road an struck a utility pole. The cause of the accident is unkown. Both the Decatur man and a Trinity woman who was the passenger died in the crash. According...

• Vioxx litigation costly for Merck

  Staff Writer | October 30, 2006 12:00 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Last week The Wall Street Journal online's Law Blog reported that Merck & Company spends more than $1 million a day in legal costs, primarily on exploding Vioxx litigation. In 2006 alone, Merck has spent $325 million on Vioxx legal bills. Third quarter earnings were down 34 percent from this time last year. How long will Merck be able to keep up these costly bills? An excerpt from the blog...

• How do defective drugs get through the system?

  Staff Writer | October 27, 2006 1:09 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  In order for a prescription or over-the-counter drug to be available for sale, it must undergo a long and complicated process with pharmaceutical company and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before receiving approval. This process takes an average of four years and a great investment on the part of pharmaceutical companies. There are also many phases of testing for a drug to undergo before...

• Information on tractor-trailer underride accidents

  Staff Writer | October 26, 2006 12:52 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  This dangerous situation occurs when the front of a small automobile touches the rear or side of a tractor-trailer (semi or large truck). The great risk occurs when the passenger vehicle underrides the trailer, and the trailer bed intrudes into the occupant compartment above and behind the hood. Tractor-trailer underrides have been known to cause serious and deadly accidents. In tractor-trailers...

• Fatal school bus accident in construction zone

  Staff Writer | October 26, 2006 10:03 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  A motor vehicle accident involving a van colliding with a school bus in Athens, Alabama, left the van driver dead and a van passenger severely injured. The bus driver and a seven-year-old boy on the bus suffered minor injuries. According to a WAFF 48 News report, the bus was traveling west as the van was traveling south and the two collided, possibly as a result of the van's failure to stop....

• Motorcycle death prompts safety campaign

  Staff Writer | October 24, 2006 8:40 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  The recent death of Fort Rucker's Warrant Officer 1 Michael Boykin from a motorcycle accident has prompted the military base to implement a motorcycle safety awareness campaign. An article on MontgomeryAdvertiser.com details the program, its goals and success among military personnel.Fort Rucker officials say that many soldiers have an extracurricular interest in riding motorcycles, and some are...