There may soon be a new multidistrict litigation to centralize the large number of opioid epidemic lawsuits currently on the rise in the U.S.

Though the opioid epidemic lawsuits concern a number of different defendants and plaintiffs, which raises concerns going forward, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation is considering the benefits of centralization, thinking that a multidistrict litigation, or MDL, would have more benefits than drawbacks.

The main concern for such an MDL is that opioid epidemic lawsuits cover a wide variety of different makers, distributors, dispensers, and prescribers–so the similarities between individual cases may not be consistent enough, which could cause problems when going to trial.

Judges on the JPML did indicate, however, that there were clear parallels between the cases. Some have expressed concern that an MDL would slow down rather than speed up the litigation process in this instance, thereby slowing the fight against the opioid epidemic and its catastrophic effects as a whole.

The possibility of an opioid epidemic lawsuits MDL was brought to the JPML at the request of a group of several cities and counties involved in the litigation. According to this group, the MDL should be centralized somewhere close to the epicenter of the problem — in either the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio or the Southern District of Illinois.

So far, 155 opioid epidemic lawsuits from 25 districts all over the U.S. have been filed. In general, opioid epidemic lawsuits have been filed by government entities like counties and states.

The Growing Opioid Epidemic

Opioid painkillers like OxyContin are often prescribed to treat pain. They are used to reduce the number of pain signals that the body sends to the brain.

In the short term, these medications can be extremely beneficial. Unfortunately, they can also end up causing patients to feel a sort of euphoria that can become extremely addictive, extremely quickly. And addiction to opioids isn’t necessarily something that happens from misuse of these drugs — even just taking opioids at the direction of one’s doctor can quickly lead to addiction, and can ruin people’s lives and put them in danger of serious injuries.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prescription opioid deaths have quadrupled since just 1999, a statistic that is tied closely with the increase in sales during that time.

As the opioid epidemic continues to grow, state attorneys general have been looking at pharmaceutical companies themselves, in a similar manner to how the tobacco industry was targeted back in the 1990s.

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.

Opioid Epidemic Lawsuits

Opioid epidemic lawsuits like those that may be included in this new MDL claim that pharmaceutical companies downplayed the severity of the addictive risks of opioids, placing company profit over the safety of patients.

Lawsuits over the opioid epidemic have been filed against companies from all over the country, including in Ohio, New Hampshire, New York, Chicago, Oregon, and California. Dozens of different opioids and their manufacturers and distributors are involved in these lawsuits.

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

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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