Recently, Florida has been facing an immense drug addiction problem, much of which stems from prescription opioids. As a result of this issue, Pam Bondi, the Florida Attorney General, has filed a lawsuit against companies that manufacture and distribute opioids. Bondi filed the suit against the companies for billions of dollars, according to the Tampa Bay Times. She claims 15 Floridians die from opioids every day and fears that number increasing. The suit is being called the most comprehensive in the nation and cites many big pharmaceutical companies as defendants. Bondi accuses companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Purdue Pharma of failing to properly inform patients about the addictive nature of the drugs, and creating front companies to market drugs with misinformation. Additionally, the lawsuit includes drug distributors, claiming they, along with the drug makers, failed to report when suspicious amounts of the opioids were being purchased. Also of concern are what Bondi calls the KOLs, or key opinion leaders. KOLs are medical professionals who were paid to promote the opiods at conferences.
More on the Drug Addiction Problem in Miami
The complaint, filed by Bondi in Pasco County, specifically alleges that the drug companies were negligent, and violated common law public nuisance, Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and the Florida Rico Act. Not the first lawsuit in Florida against these companies, many had been pushing for Bondi to file this suit. It’s being speculated that this litigation will be on the scale of the Big Tobacco lawsuit from the 90s and the BP Oil Spill lawsuit from the last decade.
The other cases that have been filed are by counties and private attorneys alike. While the cases filed by the counties are mirrored by the Bondi’s, the ones by private attorneys will focus in on the negligence claim. A win by Bondi and her team will help individuals such as Lisa Brandy, whose 18-year-old daughter died from a prescription drug overdose, to collect damages for their pain and suffering. The private lawsuits brought against the drug companies by personal injury attorneys can cite the damages caused by the negligence of the companies. Negligence, in this case, arises from the misinformation shared by the companies, their failure to properly report suspicious orders, and other failures to comply with existing laws.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by an opioid addiction, an experienced Miami Personal Injury lawyer at the Aigen Injury Law can guide you through the process of recovering compensation from these large corporations. We understand that in this moment, especially when there is injury or death, that litigation may not be on your mind. However, your lawyer at Aigen Injury Law will protect your rights, answer your questions, and fight to ensure that you maximize your recovery against all responsible parties.
Please do not hesitate to submit an online FREE CASE REVIEW. At Aigen Injury Law, an experienced lawyer is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week working relentlessly on behalf of victims who suffer from all types of accidents. We offer a free consultation for your personal injury case and there is no fee unless we recover for you.