Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
In May, more than 30 California counties joined a lawsuit against drug companies accused of perpetuating the opioid addiction and overdose epidemic.
Counties across the United States have filed lawsuits against drug companies, who are perceived as placing profits ahead of human lives by falsely portraying narcotic painkillers as safe and not particularly addictive.
County health departments and police departments allegedly have seen their staff and their funding stretched to the breaking point due to the opioid addiction and overdose crisis. They say police, paramedics, and other resources often extend to preventable opioid-related emergencies. These rescue units are then less available to help treat heart attacks, car accidents and other emergency situations.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 52,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2015 either from prescription drug abuse or from heroin.
California’s Marin County filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in an attempt to hold drug companies accountable. Thirty California counties already had joined together to file their own lawsuit in the same court earlier in the year.
Statistics indicate that car accidents are no longer the leading cause of accidental deaths in Marin County. As of 2016, drug overdose became the leading cause of accidental death. The county’s health administration recorded 14 deaths from opioid addiction and overdose that year.
Opioid overdose killed 2,000 Californians in 2016 alone.
Companies Sued for Opioid Addiction and Overdose
Companies that are defendants in lawsuits around the country include:
- AmerisourceBergen Corp.
- Cardinal Health
- Endo International
- Insys Therapeutics
- Janssen Pharmaceuticals
- Mallinckrodt
- Purdue Pharma
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
- Johnson & Johnson
- Noramco
- Allergan
- McKesson
Drug companies are accused of convincing doctors that opioids were safe and effective medications to treat long-term pain, such as the chronic pain often seen in patients with back problems and arthritis. In reality, the lawsuits argue, opioids are only safe for short-term pain, such as that experienced after surgery or certain cancer treatments.
Nationwide, patients who never should have been prescribed opioids to begin with have become addicted to the drugs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 115 people in the United States die each day because of opioid addiction and overdose.
The economic impact is $78.5 billion each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That figure includes healthcare, lost productivity, treatment for addiction, and criminal justice system costs.
Lawsuits filed by counties and cities across the United States seek repayment of these costs that they say the drug companies fostered. The lawsuits allege that billions of public tax dollars have been spent on attempting to fix a problem that never would have existed in the first place if the drug companies hadn’t convinced doctors to write prescriptions for patients who had long-term pain.
If you or someone you love has been a victim of the opioid addiction and overdose crisis, you could benefit from speaking with a lawyer.
In general, opioid overdose death lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.
If your loved died from an opioid overdose in the last three years from an addiction that began as a legal opioid prescription from his or her doctor, you may have a legal claim. Get help now by filling out the form on this page for a FREE case evaluation.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
Top Class Actions is a Proud Member of the American Bar Association
LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement
©2008 – 2024 Top Class Actions® LLC
Various Trademarks held by their respective owners
This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
Get Help – It’s Free
Join a Free Opioid Overdose Death Class Action Lawsuit Investigation
If you qualify, an attorney will contact you to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.
PLEASE NOTE: If you want to participate in this investigation, it is imperative that you reply to the law firm if they call or email you. Failing to do so may result in you not getting signed up as a client or getting you dropped as a client.
E-mail any problems with this form to:
Questions@TopClassActions.com.
Oops! We could not locate your form.
In general, opioid overdose death lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions. After you fill out the form, the attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements.
Counsel responsible for this advertisement includes Steven D. Gacovino at
Gacovino Lake & Associates PC
PAID ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT: THIS WEB PAGE IS AN ADVERTISEMENT AND THE PARTICIPATING ATTORNEY(S) ARE INCLUDED BECAUSE THEY PAY AN ADVERTISING FEE. It is not a lawyer referral service or prepaid legal services plan. Top Class Actions is not a law firm. Top Class Actions does not endorse or recommend any lawyer or law firm who participates in the network, nor does it analyze a person’s legal situation when determining which participating lawyers receive a person’s inquiry. It does not make any representation and has not made any judgment as to the qualifications, expertise or credentials of any participating lawyer. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. The information contained herein is not legal advice. Any information you submit to Top Class Actions does not create an attorney-client relationship and may not be protected by attorney-client privilege. Do not use the form to submit confidential, time-sensitive, or privileged information. All photos are of models and do not depict clients. All case evaluations are performed by participating attorneys.