"The best argument against the kind of tort 'reform' aimed at limiting damage awards for plaintiffs is emerging in the current scandal over Merck's arthritis drug Vioxx.
"Though Merck pulled the drug from the market Sept. 30 when a study indicated increased risk of heart attack and stroke among users, evidence surfaced recently that the drugmakers may have - or at least should have - known for years that Vioxx produced such elevated hazards. Both the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission have opened investigations." [St. Petersburg Times - Editorial]
