The ongoing opioid epidemic has the entire country afraid to touch prescription painkillers. Each day, dozens of people lose their lives to opioid overdoses, the vast majority of which are unintentional and not related to illegal drug use. That is to say, people are inadvertently harming themselves and their loved ones due to an addiction to their prescribed opioid medications.
This harrowing situation raises the question, “Who can be held accountable for your opioid addiction?”
Are Doctors to Blame for Painkiller Addiction?
The first party you might want to blame for your opioid addiction will be your doctor. It makes sense to suspect your medical provider of medical malpractice since they were the one telling you to take a painkiller regularly. However, blaming an individual doctor or even a healthcare group for painkiller addiction has proven difficult. Doctors need to prescribe something to a patient in desperate need of pain relief, and they might not have any feasible alternative to an opioid known to cause addiction.
In order to hold your doctor liable for your opioid addiction and related health complications, there would have to be some unusual circumstances backed by hard evidence. In particular, there would likely need to be proof that your doctor was taking money from a pharmaceutical giant to prescribe a certain opioid to youand that they knew that opioid was dangerous. This is a highly set bar that might be a challenge to overcome.
Who is Liable for the Opioid Epidemic?
If your doctor is not the right person to cite as a defendant in your dangerous drug lawsuit, who is? The history of opioid addiction lawsuits reveals that Big Pharma companies manufacturing opioids are the right target for damages. There are cases all across the country of individuals and massive classes filing lawsuits against pharmaceutical manufacturers for professional negligence or even advertising fraud. In recent news stories, there have even been entire cities and counties acting as plaintiffs, suing Big Pharma for the overall damages caused to the good people of their community.
Do you think you have a valid opioid addiction claim but do not know where to begin your case? Look no further than Bertram & Graf, L.L.C. in Kansas City, Missouri. Our medical maplractice attorneys are prepared to hear your claim during a complimentary case review to determine if you have grounds to either begin a new lawsuit against a medical provider or pharmaceutical company or if there is a mass tort or class action you can join. In either situation, you can depend on us to be your legal guides through thick and thin.
Let’s talk more about your opioid addiction lawsuit. Contact us at (888) 398-2277 today.