Vioxx deadline: 90 days for La. plaintiffs to file paperwork

Almost two years after Hurricane Katrina, it’s time for Louisiana residents who claim they had heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems because of the painkiller Vioxx to get their paperwork together, the judge ruled Friday.

The order by U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon, who is in charge of pretrial proceedings in all federal Vioxx cases, gave Louisiana plaintiffs and those represented by Louisiana attorneys three months – 90 days from Friday – to file profile forms and related paperwork.

He said he had postponed the deadline in January 2006 to help people who were “displaced or otherwise inconvenienced because of Hurricane Katrina.

“As more time passes, however, the risk increases that memories may fade, medical records cannot be located, are misplaced or are destroyed, and doctors, healthcare and other medical providers, and other witnesses retire or cannot be found,” he wrote.

The order was accompanied by a 33-page list of those plaintiffs, and an additional 4-page list of plaintiffs who are representing themselves.