The Miller Firm took the country’s first Actos case to trial in February 2013 in Los Angeles Superior Court. After eight weeks of evidence and argument, the jury in Cooper v. Takeda et al. returned a verdict in favor of the Plaintiffs Jack Cooper and his wife in the amount of $6.5 million dollars. The jury found that Takeda had failed to warn health care providers that Actos can cause bladder cancer, that Takeda’s hiding of that risk caused Mr. Cooper’s physicians to prescribe the drug, and that taking Actos for over four years was a cause of Mr. Cooper’s bladder cancer. The case is currently on appeal.
In the second trial, in Baltimore City Circuit Court, the jury reached the same conclusion. Jurors in An v. Takeda et al found that Takeda had breached its duty to inform doctors of the danger of bladder cancer. That failure, they decided, caused Mr. An’s physician to prescribe Actos for him, which led to his tragic and untimely death of bladder cancer. The jury calculated the amount of damages owed by Takeda to be $1.7 million. The case remains before the Court on post-trial motions due to inconsistencies in the verdict sheet.
The Miller Firm continues to take Actos cases to trial across the country. Beginning November 18, 2013 will be the third Actos trial in history, in Clark County District Court – Las Vegas, Nevada. The Plaintiff in Nevada has been diagnosed with stage IV (end stage) bladder cancer after taking Actos for four years. The Court granted an expedited trial pursuant to a Nevada law that allows Plaintiffs to speed up trial when they are dying.