Purdue Pharma Inc. is facing serious negligence and failure to warn allegations from the city of Indianapolis and Marion County, who allege that many of their citizens have developed an addiction to opioids.

The representatives of these counties allege their citizens’ addiction to opioids is a massive problem for the area economic and social structures. Furthermore, the officials allege the pharmaceutical companies named in the opioid addiction lawsuit deliberately downplayed the risk of how easy it was for people to develop an addiction to opioids. 

The plaintiff parties named in the opioid addiction lawsuit are officials for the city of Indianapolis and Marion County, arguing that their communities were severely impacted due to many citizens developing an addiction to opioids.

The officials also accuse Purdue Pharma and other pharmaceutical companies of directly contributing to the current opioid crisis. The companies are accused of focusing on the drugs’ benefits while heavily misleading doctors and patients about the likelihood of developing an addiction to opioids.

Overview of Opioid Crisis

Due to these allegedly fraudulent actions, Marion County and Indianapolis say they are suffering the effects of the opioid addiction crisis. According to the opioid addiction lawsuit, the Indiana areas have experienced the socio-economic problems associated with drug addiction and have had to spend vital city funding helping their citizens recover from their addiction to opioids.

The opioid addiction lawsuit points out the following statistics to illustrate how the opioid addiction epidemic has impacted their communities:

• Approximately 345 Marion County residents have died from an opioid overdose, which is four times that of traffic-related deaths.
• In 2013, the Marion County Juvenile Court had experienced a 31 percent increase in kids being taken away from their parents, due to the parents developing an addiction to opioids.
• While Indiana is one of the most prevalent in the country’s opioid addiction crisis, Marion County led the state with the highest number of fatal drug overdoses and experienced the most pharmacy robberies.
• In 2014, it was reported that 200 infants born in Marion County had neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). This condition occurs in infants who were exposed to opioids during their mother’s pregnancy.
• Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services will most likely surpass 2017, in record high number of naloxone administrations for opioid related overdoses.

Marion County and Indianapolis say they have been forced to spend millions of dollars for the necessary emergency, medical, and social services needed for opioid addiction.

The city officials point out their opioid crisis had several contributing factors, alleging Purdue Pharma and other pharmaceutical companies aggressively marketed opioids while not discussing potential risks. Brand name and generic opioid medications are highly addictive pain medications, which are typically prescribed to patients to treat chronic pain.

However, the plaintiffs say opioid manufacturing companies persistently stated these drugs were safe and effective choices for pain relief, while allegedly downplaying the risk of potential addiction to opioids. Over the past few decades, the use of these has dramatically increased along with the country’s growing addiction to opioids.

According to health statistics, these drugs had been the subject of 183,000 fatal overdoses between 1999 to 2015. Marion County and Indianapolis are just two cities in a country rocked by the opioid crisis, with city officials seeking justice and compensation for their citizens.

This Opioid Addiction Lawsuit is City of Indianapolis and Marion County v. Purdue Pharma Inc., et al., Case 1:17-cv-04231-JMS-DML, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division.

In general, opioid addiction lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual opioid addictino lawsuit or opioid addiction class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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