“Froth At The Mouth” As A Legal Defense Strategy

So you think the Plaintiff Lawyers are the ones who put on the big show?

“Merck’s defense of Vioxx is beginning to look ugly – and costing the company millions in legal fees and punitive damages. But make no mistake, the company’s fight-every-case strategy is still its only rational option.”

“Imagine the drugmaker, if you will, as a 90-pound weakling outnumbered in a bar-fight. It’s to the company’s advantage to roll its eyes, froth at the mouth, and claim it’s just crazy enough to fight to the death. The posturing has purpose. Merck wants to limit its ultimate liability and dissuade plaintiffs with weak cases from joining the fray before the statute of limitations runs out (for most of the country) on October 1.”

From Fortune Magazine