Kentucky Attorney General Steve Beshear has opened a lawsuit against a major manufacturer of opioids in the state. The Kentucky opioid lawsuit targets Endo Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Opana ER, which has been significantly linked to opioid deaths in Kentucky.

The issue became severe enough that in June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked Endo to remove Opana ER from the drug market. Less than a month later, the company announced that it would no longer be selling Opana ER.

Unfortunately, the effects of Opana ER are still devastating.  Indeed, Opana ER (oxymorphone hydrochloride extended release) was linked with the deaths of more than 190 Kentucky residents in 2016 alone, according to a statement from Beshear’s office about what prompted the Kentucky opioid lawsuit.

“Today we are taking action to hold Endo responsible for unlawfully building a market for the chronic use of opioids in the name of increasing corporate profits, knowing all along the dangers of Opana ER that led to devastating effects on the Commonwealth,” read the release. “My office refuses to sit back and watch families be torn apart while opioid manufacturers like Endo line their pockets at the expense of our communities and our future.”

Background of the Opioid Epidemic

Opana ER and other opioid medications, such as OxyContin, are often prescribed to treat pain. Their job is to reduce the number of pain signals that the body sends to the brain.

Unfortunately, opioid drugs can end up causing patients to feel a sort of addictive euphoria that last long after their prescribed usage is over. Opioid addiction isn’t necessarily something that happens from misuse of the drug—even just taking opioids at the direction of one’s doctor can quickly lead to addiction, and can ruin people’s lives, putting them in danger of serious injuries.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prescription opioid deaths have quadrupled in the last twenty years, correlating heavily with the sales increase made in the same period.

As the opioid epidemic and the involvement of major pharmaceutical companies becomes more widespread, state attorneys general like Kentucky’s Steve Beshear have begun taking action through investigation and litigation against the pharmaceutical companies themselves.

Abuse of opioid drugs can lead to a number of severe problems, the most obvious of which is opioid addiction. Other complications linked with these drugs include serotonin syndrome, androgen deficiency, adrenal insufficiency, overdose, and even fatalities.

Filing an Opioid Addiction Lawsuit

Opioid lawsuits like this Kentucky opioid lawsuit claim that drug 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, California, and now Kentucky, involving dozens of different opioid medications and manufacturers.

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 file a lawsuit. 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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