Lawsuit Against Opioid Companies Blames COVID-19 for Aggravating Crisis

November 19, 2021 by Tom Ramstack
Lawsuit Against Opioid Companies Blames COVID-19 for Aggravating Crisis
OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)

SEATTLE — Testimony this week during a civil trial in Seattle could explain why opioid deaths set a record of more than 100,000 in a year by last April.

The class action lawsuit seeks $95 billion in damages against pharmaceutical companies that distribute the powerful painkillers. They are known to be highly addictive.

As the health system became overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, some people overdosed on opioids while their substance abuse treatment was made a lower priority and delayed, according to evidence presented at the trial in state court.

A Washington social worker testified to a “devastating” impact from the pandemic as she tried to help people struggling with addiction to find treatment. Many treatment facilities were closed down or switched to online services as the pandemic claimed more lives, she said.

“COVID has definitely interrupted our progress,” said Amy Miller, a social worker for the Port Angeles Rediscovery Program, which makes referrals for people with substance abuse and behavioral problems.

She was a witness for the state of Washington in its lawsuit against drug distributors AmerisourceBergen Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corp. in King County Superior Court. State attorneys are suing under the Washington Consumer Protection Act.

Rural areas, which had few treatment options before the pandemic, were hit the hardest, Miller said.

Typically, addicted persons sought treatment for pain from injuries when they started using opioids like fentanyl, she testified. Once they started using the painkiller, they found they could not stop themselves, sometimes progressing to heroin, overdoses or death.

On the same day she testified, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that more than 100,000 Americans died of opioid overdoses between April 2020 and April of this year. The new record is nearly 30% higher than the 78,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2019.

Washington declined to participate in the $21 billion nationwide settlement the drug distributors reached with other states in July.

The Washington lawsuit is unusual for being based on a state consumer protection law. Other states have tried to sue in local courts but accused the drugmakers and distributors of violating their nuisance laws as a basis of liability.

Last week, the Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned a judgment against pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson that accused the company of creating a public nuisance with its opioids.

For the same reason, a California judge determined this month that Johnson & Johnson could not be blamed for the state’s opioid crisis.

About 3,000 other lawsuits nationwide are pending against companies that make or distribute opioids, most of them alleging a violation of nuisance laws.

Tom can be reached at [email protected].

A+
a-
  • civil trial
  • COVID-19
  • opiod deaths
  • Seattle
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Litigation

    March 14, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Jewish Group Sues UN Relief Agency Saying It Supports Hamas Terrorism

    WILMINGTON, Del. — A Jewish advocacy group sued a United Nations relief agency Wednesday in Delaware for allegedly helping Hamas... Read More

    WILMINGTON, Del. — A Jewish advocacy group sued a United Nations relief agency Wednesday in Delaware for allegedly helping Hamas in its war with Israel and the murders of Israelis and Americans. The National Jewish Advocacy Center says U.N. relief workers who were supposed to be... Read More

    New York AG Says She’ll Seize Trump’s Property if He Can’t Pay $454M Civil Fraud Debt

    NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump could be at risk of losing some of his prized properties if he can’t... Read More

    NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump could be at risk of losing some of his prized properties if he can’t pay his staggering New York civil fraud penalty. With interest, he owes the state nearly $454 million — and the amount is going up $87,502 each day until... Read More

    February 16, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Environmentalists Sue EPA for Data on Health Risks of Forever Chemicals

    WASHINGTON — Environmentalists sued the Environmental Protection Agency this week in federal court in Washington, D.C., seeking information about health... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Environmentalists sued the Environmental Protection Agency this week in federal court in Washington, D.C., seeking information about health risks from forever chemicals in fluorinated plastic containers. The two groups that sued accuse the EPA of withholding information about PFAS. They are called forever chemicals... Read More

    February 6, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    DC Appellate Court Rejects Trump's Immunity Claim

    WASHINGTON — A court of appeals in the District of Columbia has rejected former President Donald Trump’s claim that he... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A court of appeals in the District of Columbia has rejected former President Donald Trump’s claim that he is immune from prosecution for allegedly interfering in the 2020 presidential election. In a unanimous, 57-page ruling, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of... Read More

    February 1, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Trump Lawsuit Over Steele Dossier Dismissed by Judge in London

    LONDON, U.K. — A judge in London dismissed a lawsuit Thursday that former President Donald Trump filed against the British... Read More

    LONDON, U.K. — A judge in London dismissed a lawsuit Thursday that former President Donald Trump filed against the British intelligence agent who wrote the "Steele Dossier" describing his questionable links to the Russian government. Trump’s lawsuit called the accusations lies that hurt his reputation. Judge... Read More

    January 31, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Couple Claims ‘Healthy’ Snack Left Children With Lead Poisoning

    HICKORY, N.C. — A North Carolina couple claimed in court that the manufacturer of a fruit puree they bought as... Read More

    HICKORY, N.C. — A North Carolina couple claimed in court that the manufacturer of a fruit puree they bought as a healthy snack for their kids negligently sold products contaminated with large amounts of lead, leading to concerns the children will face life-long health issues. In... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top