Purdue Pharma new about the risk of addiction associated with the opioid painkiller OxyContin years before disclosing these dangers to the public, a New York lawsuit alleges. Purdue is facing a lawsuit filed on behalf of county governments in New York alleging that Purdue continued to promote OxyContin in spite of its knowledge that the…
The Texas Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has announced that it will consolidate 16 opioid lawsuits filed by county governments across Texas in a statewide multidistrict litigation (MDL). These lawsuits – filed against opioid painkiller manufacturers like Purdue Pharma and distributors such as McKesson Corp. – accuse companies involved in the sale and distribution of…
Attorneys representing babies whose mothers used prescription painkillers during pregnancy have asked the judge overseeing the nationwide opioids multidistrict litigation (MDL) to create a separate litigation track for these cases. The attorneys say that the separate track in the opioids MDL is necessary in order to allow them to present separate legal theories and address…
Two new studies have found that rates of opioid painkiller usage declined in states that legalized medical marijuana. The studies’ findings suggest that the legalization of medical marijuana could serve as a tool to help patients treat chronic pain and address the nationwide opioid epidemic, which claims tens of thousands of lives each year.
The family of Matthew Roberts, former lead guitarist for the rock group 3 Doors Down, has filed a lawsuit against his doctor over allegations of improperly prescribing opioid medications that led to the musician’s death. Roberts died in 2016 of an opioid overdose caused by the drugs fentanyl and hydrocodone.
Dozens of lawsuits filed against opioid manufacturers by state and local governments have been consolidated in a federal multidistrict litigation. The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ruled last week that approximately 180 lawsuits filed in districts across the country would be heard by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster of the Northern District of…
The rate of opioid addiction in the US has risen by 500% over the last seven years, according to a study conducted by the insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield. The study found that more than one in five Blue Cross Blue Shield customers filled at least one prescription for opioid painkillers in 2015.
Opioid overdose deaths in some states have risen by nearly 200% over the last five years, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency reported that overdose deaths caused by prescription painkillers have risen by 33% nationwide.
The risk for patients of long-term opioid use may come down to the prescribing habits of their hospital emergency room physician, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard University. Researchers say that luck – rather than the medical condition of the patient – may be the biggest factor in whether patients undergo extended…
A recent study published in Canada has found a link between prescriptions for opioid painkillers and a risk of a fatal fentanyl overdose. According to the study, 60% of patients who suffered a fatal fentanyl overdose had been prescribed opioids within the last year.
A new study published by the Yale School of Medicine has found that the number of children and teenagers hospitalized for an opioid painkiller overdose has tripled over recent years. This alarming rise in the number of accidental overdoses caused by opioid drugs is part of a growing trend of adverse health consequences caused by…
An Illinois federal judge says that a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of former NHL hockey player Derek Boogaard against the league will be allowed to move forward. Boogaard spent six years in the NHL as an “enforcer” for the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild before his death from a painkiller overdose…