Vioxx damages reduced from $32 million to $7.75 million

The $32 million jury award in a Vioxx lawsuit to a woman who lost her retired, 71-year-old husband was reduced to $7.75 million to conform to Texas state law. Merck & Co. was originally ordered to pay $7 million in noneconomic damages and $25 million in punitive damages. Judge Alex Gabert, however, ordered the punitive damages reduced to $750,000 to conform to a 2003 Texas law. The law caps punitive damages at twice the amount of economic damages (lost pay) with a maximum of $750,000 in addition to noneconomic damages. Because the man was retired and was awarded no economic damages for lost wages, Merk & Co. was ordered to only pay the maximum award under Texas state law.