Drug giant found liable in first Vioxx trial

A Texas jury found pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co liable for the death of a man who took the once-popular painkiller Vioxx.

Jurors awarded Robert Ernst’s widow, Carol, $253.4m (€208.3m) in damages, which is a combination of his lost pay as a supermarket produce manager, mental anguish, loss of companionship and punitive damages.