Fen-phen settlement on shaky ground

Thousands of people suing a major drug maker over a diet drug won't take part in a proposed settlement.<br> <br>And lawyers say this threatens the resolution of one of the biggest product-liability

Thursday, October 14th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Thousands of people suing a major drug maker over a diet drug won't take part in a proposed settlement.

And lawyers say this threatens the resolution of one of the biggest product-liability cases ever.

Those suing American Home Products say they suffered injuries after taking the fen-phen diet drug combination. American Home
Products had proposed a three-point-75 (b) billion-dollar settlement.

The company has the right to walk away from the deal if it finds too many people who took the drug are opting out.

Lawyers representing more than eight-thousand plaintiffs say their clients won't participate in the settlement and are seeking
bigger damages.