Advocates and those who have already filed lawsuits want an opioid MDL as soon as possible due the severe impact of the U.S. drug addiction crisis.
A judge recently spoke out in favor of moving towards opioid multidistrict litigation because of the number of cases that have been filed by state and local governments.
Opioid MDL Would Group All Legal Claims Together
Manufacturers of highly addictive pain medications have been named as defendants in numerous lawsuits in recent months. Many of the advocates and plaintiffs argue that the manufacturers of these drugs knew about the highly addictive nature and risk but downplayed it in order to sell the drugs.
The Ohio federal judge responsible for oversight on the current cases against those manufacturers wants things to move along quickly and supports the opioid MDL case being managed as efficiently as possible.
Many of those who have filed cases have claimed they did so to help cut down on the marketing and the number of prescriptions being given out for highly addictive prescription painkillers.
Purdue Pharma, the creators of OxyContin, as well as several other manufacturers, have been targeted in lawsuits blaming these drug giants for creating and promoting these medications without making the public or medical community aware of the risks.
Cities and states throughout the U.S. are struggling to deal with the aftermath of the opioid epidemic in terms of medical expenses and high numbers of overdoses that have occurred in recent years.
The federal judge overseeing that opioid MDL says he intends do something meaningful to help cut down on the opioid epidemic sweeping across the country.
What makes the opioid MDL unique is that many lawsuits focus on past events, but this set of cases involves an ongoing problem.
Opioid addiction is expected to claim the lives of more than 50,000 people in this year alone. The judge says that he intends to move swiftly in order to make an impact on that devastating estimated toll in 2018.
That judge shared that the big priority in the opioid MDL is to reduce the number of opioids available in public circulation at this time and ensuring that painkillers are only given to those who truly need them. Many people may even begin an opioid addiction legally, getting pain medications in the hospital..
However, the fact that these drugs are so addictive has made them very popular on the black market, encouraging those who obtained them for legitimate needs to continue usage beyond the point they need the drugs.
Various manufacturers of opioids are being blamed for the high risk of addiction and the resulting costs and problems tied to the opioid epidemic. An MDL helps to consolidate similar cases and allow them to move forward together.
If you believe you have a case that could be included in an opioid MDL, talk to the lawyers at McDonald Worley today. The case review is free.