RDP Law Group represents victims of opioid addiction across the nation. If you or a loved on have suffered damages or injury due to opioid use or opioid overdosing, you may have a legal claim and be entitled to compensation from the opioid manufacturer.
If you do not file a claim by the July 30 deadline, you may lose your right to receive compensation from Purdue Pharma for your injuries or loss.
If you have suffered harm from Purdue prescription opioids you have the right to file a claim against Purdue through the bankruptcy court proceeding. Examples of claims that can be filed include the following:
Babies can suffer Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) when their mothers are addicted to or being treated with opioids during pregnancy. Pregnant mothers using opioids pass the drug through the placenta to the fetus resulting in the baby becoming drug dependent. Infants born with NAS suffer withdrawal symptoms requiring additional hospitalization and treatment in the hospital’s newborn intensive care unit.
Complications related to opioid use during pregnancy
Opioid use during pregnancy can lead to the following severe complications:
Opioid abuse and addiction has destroyed countless lives over the past two decades as the opioid crisis unfolded in the United States. OxyContin and prescription opioids, a serious problem in 2002, evolved into a full-blown epidemic over the next several years, peaking around 2010. The national crisis was fueled in large part by opioid drug manufacturers and distributors who ignored obvious signs of over prescription and user abuse. Rings of “pill-mills” provided easy access to prescription opioid pain killers to anyone who walked in off the street, claimed to be in pain, and had cash to pay for the highly addictive drugs.
In 2013 alone, there were 53 million oxycodone prescriptions filled by U.S. pharmacies according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). That equates to one prescription for every 6 people in the U.S.
Due to Purdue’s aggressive sales tactics and reckless disregard for risks, OxyContin became the top selling brand name narcotic pain reliever according to a 2003 report from the U.S. General Accounting Office. After OxyContin was approved by the FDA in 1995, sales topped $1 billion just 6 years later becoming a cash-cow for Purdue Pharma and it’s owners, the Sackler family.
In September 2019, opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma and its subsidiaries filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The bankruptcy filing is part of a settlement agreement designed to preserve Purdue’s assets and future revenue to compensate victims and pay for the damage caused by the reckless actions of the company and the Sackler family who founded Purdue. The total value of the opioid settlement is estimated to be from $10 billion to $12 billion.
For over 2 decades, Purdue has maintained a pattern of aggressive opioid sales and marketing tactics even after warnings by regulators. In 2007 Purdue executives pleaded guilty to misleading regulators, doctors and patients about the risks and addictiveness of opioid pain killers. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), almost 70,000 people die annually from drug overdoses, with 2 out of 3 related to opioids abuse.
In addition to the Purdue bankruptcy, legal claims are being filed against opioid manufacturers, distributors and physicians in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation, Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) No. 2804.
The various defendants have been accused of fueling the nation’s opioid crisis to line their own pockets. Drug makers aggressively marketed their opioid pain treatment while downplaying the risks of addiction and overdose. Distributors failed to detect, probe or report suspicious orders and over prescription.
Opioids were originally created to treat extreme pain for patients who were terminally ill. Seeing an opportunity to increase profits, the pharmaceutical industry began aggressively pushing the drugs for much wider use. Manufacturers knew the risks of abuse, addiction and possible overdose were much higher than their marketing materials indicated, even according to their internal documents.
Actavis
Allergan
Cephalon
Endo Health
Janssen
Johnson & Johnson
Purdue
Teva
Watson
AmerisourceBergen
MdKesson Corp
Cardinal Health
If you, or a loved one are addicted to opioids, the first step is to get the help you need from a qualified addiction treatment facility near you. If have suffered loss or damages related to opioid use, addiction, or overdose, it may be time to talk with an experienced opioid attorney about filing a claim for damages against the opioid manufacturer. Below are a few steps you can take to prepare for filing your claim.
