You do not currently have a featured image set for this post. To set your featured image, click on the circular Meta View button and set your image in the box on the bottom right.<\/p>\n
The movement will be spearheaded by lead counsel Paul Farrell
\nJr., recognized as a premier trial lawyer in the field of medical malpractice,
\nmaking some thirty appearances before the West Virginia Supreme Court. The
\nclaims: a failure to report suspicious orders on behalf of counties.<\/p>\n
These suits are targeting the heart of the opioid crisis in
\nthese communities by going straight to distributors and manufacturers. Each
\ncomplaint details claims of public nuisance, Corrupt Practices Act violations,
\nand negligence. AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., and
\nMcKesson Corp, are the distributors that will answer to these claims in Federal
\nCourt, while Purdue Pharma
\nLP, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Cephalon are the manufacturers.<\/p>\n
Drug overdoses are one of the leading causes of death for
\nAmericans under 50, and the numbers are rising at alarming rate. Opioids are
\nconsidered a major contributor. In Ohio, the claims were brought forth by ten
\nheavily affected counties in the region. The counties we represent as local
\ncounsel include Pike, Ross, Jackson, Lawrence, Gallia, Hocking, Vinton, and
\nGuernsey counties. As a national movement, as of this time, there are 83
\ngovernment entities, cities and counties, involved. The suit claims the
\ncompanies have \u201cuniversally
\nfailed to comply with federal law\u201d.<\/p>\n
The problem isn\u2019t limited to the aggressive way these companies
\npeddled opioids to doctors, but rather that they have downplayed \u2013 in some
\ncases failing to disclose at all \u2013 the dangerous and addictive nature of these
\ndrugs. They have downplayed the serious risk of addiction and promoted the
\nconcept of \u201cpseudoaddiction\u201d, recommending that the signs of addiction should
\nbe treated with more opioids. They also exaggerated the effectiveness of
\nscreening tools in preventing addiction while claiming that opioid dependence and
\nwithdrawal are easily managed. They have denied the risks of higher opioid
\ndosages and exaggerated the effectiveness of \u201cabuse-deterrent\u201d opioid
\nformulations to prevent abuse and addiction.<\/p>\n
AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., and McKesson
\nCorp. are mass distributors of hydrocodone and oxycodone. They are required
\nunder the federal Controlled Substances Act to report unusual activity in
\nproduct orders. Allegedly, these companies neglected the extreme gaps of
\nprescriptions issued relative to the population size in these areas. Their
\nfailure to act as has led to the current lawsuit.<\/p>\n
One of the complaints states: \u201cPlaintiff has reason to believe each has engaged in unlawful
\nconduct which resulted in the diversion of prescription opioids into our
\ncommunity and that discovery will likely reveal others who also engaged in
\nunlawful conduct\u2026 Plaintiff names each of the \u2018big three\u2019 herein as defendants
\nand places the industry on notice that the citizens of Ross County are taking
\naction to abate the public nuisance plaguing our community.\u201d<\/p>\n