Jury Rights Wrong Wyeth Verdict
A Nevada jury that withdrew nearly $100 million in a compensatory verdict for plaintiffs who took Prempro and Premarin has now awarded about that much in punitive damages.
Jurors yesterday agreed to award $99 million in punitive damages to three plaintiffs who claimed the drugs they took for menopause symptoms caused their breast cancer, the Associated Press reports.
The total award against pharmaceutical company Wyeth now stands at $134 million, $500,000 less than the original amount awarded for compensatory damages. Judge Robert Perry lowered the original $134.5 million compensatory verdict to $35 million after some jurors indicated they had mistakenly included punitives in the award.
Perry refused a motion for a mistrial because of the verdict mistakes. Wyeth lawyers argued jurors were predisposed to punish the company before the punitive phase of the trial even began.
