Thursday, April 24, 2008
Accutane Verdict:
Third Straight Plaintiff's Verdict, and Largest to Date, in Accutane Litigation
On Tuesday, a jury in Atlantic City, NJ, ordered the pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche to pay plaintiff Kamie Kendall $10,578,500.00, for injuries caused by its drug Accutane. Ms Kendall developed ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), after taking Accutane. The jury found that Roche failed to warn Ms. Kendall and her physician about the risk of IBD associated with its drug. The $10.5 million compensatory award is the largest in any Accutane case to date. Judge Carol Higbee denied Plaintiff's motion to present the issue of punitive damages to the jury, ruling that the evidence supporting the claim post-dated Ms. Kendall's diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. However, the specter of punitive damages looms in many of the cases still pending in Atlantic City, NJ. Ms. Kendall, a resident of Utah, brought suit against Roche in its home state of New Jersey. Ms. Kendall was represented by attorneys Mike Hook and Steve Bolton of the Hook & Bolton firm, Pete Kaufman of the Levin, Papantonio firm, Dave Buchanan of the Seeger Weiss firm and Mary Jane Bass and Jack Lurton of the Beggs & Lane firm.
On Tuesday, a jury in Atlantic City, NJ, ordered the pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche to pay plaintiff Kamie Kendall $10,578,500.00, for injuries caused by its drug Accutane. Ms Kendall developed ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), after taking Accutane. The jury found that Roche failed to warn Ms. Kendall and her physician about the risk of IBD associated with its drug. The $10.5 million compensatory award is the largest in any Accutane case to date. Judge Carol Higbee denied Plaintiff's motion to present the issue of punitive damages to the jury, ruling that the evidence supporting the claim post-dated Ms. Kendall's diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. However, the specter of punitive damages looms in many of the cases still pending in Atlantic City, NJ. Ms. Kendall, a resident of Utah, brought suit against Roche in its home state of New Jersey. Ms. Kendall was represented by attorneys Mike Hook and Steve Bolton of the Hook & Bolton firm, Pete Kaufman of the Levin, Papantonio firm, Dave Buchanan of the Seeger Weiss firm and Mary Jane Bass and Jack Lurton of the Beggs & Lane firm.
posted by
Harlan Schillinger
at
12:27 PM
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