Addiction to opioids, including fentanyl addiction, is a major problem in the U.S., often referred to as the opioid epidemic or crisis. Indeed, thousands of people die from opioid overdose each year. In 2017 alone, fentanyl addiction led to the deaths of 156 people in Minnesota.

A number of states have filed litigation against major opioid manufacturers for their part in fueling the opioid epidemic. Recently, Minnesota’s attorney general announced a lawsuit against Insys Therapeutics over illegally marketing its painkiller Subsys in ways that increased risk of fentanyl addiction in patients.

According to the lawsuit, Insys marketed Subsys for unapproved conditions and at higher doses than approved by the FDA. Indeed, Subsys was approved in 2012 “only for the management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients whose existing long-acting opioids did not adequately control their pain.”

However, the lawsuit alleges that Insys has marketed Subsys to patients who do not have cancer. According to the lawsuit, Insys had daily quotas for its sales force, and to increase sales, it promoted the fentanyl drug for off-label uses as well as higher doses—and offered incentives for sales agents to get physicians to increase prescribed doses.

Background of the Opioid Epidemic

Opioids are prescribed to treat pain, but they are also extremely addictive because they produce a sense of euphoria. They work by reducing the number of pain signals that the body sends to the brain. Though opioids are often advertised as being safe and effective painkillers, they are actually in the same class of drugs as heroin. Unfortunately, these drugs can become extremely addictive, extremely quickly.

The opioid epidemic is growing more and more widespread. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports more than 42,000 overdose deaths from opioids in 2016 alone. According to the CDC, prescription opioid deaths have quadrupled since just 1999, a statistic that is tied closely with the increase in sales during that time. Indeed, around 183,000 people have died from opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2015.

Addiction to opioids isn’t necessarily something that happens from misuse of these drugs—even taking opioids at the direction of one’s doctor can quickly lead to addiction. Opioid abuse can lead to a number of injuries, the most obvious of which is opioid addiction. Other problems include serotonin syndrome, androgen deficiency, adrenal insufficiency, overdose, and even death.

Filing a Fentanyl Addiction Lawsuit

Lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies over fentanyl addiction and other opioid addiction have been filed from all over the country, including in Ohio, New Hampshire, New York, Chicago, Oregon, California, Arkansas, and Minnesota. A slew of different opioids and their manufacturers and distributors are involved in these lawsuits.

If you or someone you love has suffered from fentanyl overdose because of a painkiller prescribed by your doctor, you may be able to join the growing number of opioid epidemic lawsuits. While an opioid addiction lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by opioid overdose, it can help to alleviate some of the accompanying financial burden.

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.

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