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The lawsuit by Ernst 's widow , Carol Ernst , is the first of more than 4,200 Vioxx-related state and federal lawsuits to go before a jury.The New Jersey pharmaceutical giant pulled the drug from the market last year after a study showed it doubled risk of heart attack or stroke if taken for 18 months or more , but the company claims no studies link Vioxx to arrhythmia.Last week Merck 's lawyers presented evidence that the company studied whether Vioxx caused arrhythmias in nine clinical trials before the drug went on the market in 1999 . " A man . " Foy contacted authorities in January 2004 after he saw a news segment on " The Abrams Report " about Watts ' impending release.Three of the survivors , Julie Hernandez , Lori Lister and Melinda Aguilar , testified to provide evidence of Watts ' prior acts and their similarities to Helen Dutcher 's murder . In Texas , punitive damages are capped at twice the amount of economic damages — lost pay — and up to $ 750,000 on top of non-economic damages , which are comprised of mental anguish and loss of companionship.The case drew national attention from pharmaceutical companies , lawyers , consumers , stock analysts and arbitragers as a signal of what lies ahead for Merck , which has vowed to fight the more than 4,200 state and federal Vioxx-related lawsuits pending across the country . Sherrill described him as a soulmate who sparked a youthful exuberance her mother had n't exhibited while raising the family alone.Carol Ernst contends Vioxx caused his death in the first of more than 4,200 Vioxx-related state and federal lawsuits across the country to go before a jury.Vioxx-maker Merck & Co. pulled the drug from the market last September when a study showed it could double risk of heart attack or stroke if taken for 18 months or longer . However , Mayer said Merck has persuaded state judges in " a fairly large number " of such cases to transfer them to federal court , arguing the second defendant is not a bona fide target.Cases filed in Merck 's home state of New Jersey , where about half the existing cases are filed , cannot legally be moved to federal court.In Atlantic City , where Merck is wrapping up its defense against a postal worker who blames his heart attack on Vioxx , a cardiology expert on Monday said in testimony that there is no evidence someone who took Vioxx so briefly was at increased risk of a heart attack.Plaintiff Frederick Humeston , 60 , of Boise , Idaho , took the painkiller for about two months before the heart attack on Sept. 18 , 2001 . '' Many of these things [ heart attacks ] happen with a variety of stimuli , " some of which are never detected , Wheeler said.Whether Vioxx caused Ernst 's death in 2001 is the crux of the case , the first of more than 4,200 Vioxx-related state and federal lawsuits against the New Jersey pharmaceutical company to go before a jury.Wheeler 's testimony contradicted that of Dr. Maria Araneta , the pathologist who performed Ernst 's autopsy . " " No , " he replied.Jurors also heard the conclusion of Radel 's testimony . " Just as there had been weeping when they left London , so there was weeping when the Beatles arrived here . But the US is still wedded to the Camp David formula which spawned it , and there have been signs of late that Europe takes a more indulgent view of Camp David.Pro-Western Arab leaders such as King Khaled of Saudi Arabia , may denounce the " civilised world " for failing to stop the " criminal barbarous Zionist aggression " being carried out " before its eyes and ears . The company 's potential liability has already been estimated at up to $ 18 billion.Merck does have some strengths in the upcoming litigation that it did n't have in the Texas case.One of the cases is in federal court , where experts say stricter rules of evidence and testimony may benefit the New Jersey-based drug maker.Legal experts said some of the testimony allowed in the Texas trial probably would not have been permitted in federal court , especially the surprise testimony from a coroner that a heart attack could have led to the fatal arrhythmia .