King County & Keller Rohrback File Suit Against Prescription Opioid Manufacturers

On January 5, 2018, Keller Rohrback L.L.P. filed suit on behalf of King County in Washington State against prescription opioid manufacturers Purdue, Endo, and Janssen, as well as other related entities and individuals responsible for the opioid epidemic.

The suit was filed to hold the Defendants accountable for their “reckless promotion of the use of potent opioids for chronic pain while deliberately downplaying the significant risks of the addiction and overdose.” King County is on the front line of combating the resulting opioid crisis and has suffered significant economic damages as a result.

“We are deeply honored to work with the King County Prosecutor’s office to bring this critical litigation on behalf of King County,” said Derek Loeser, a partner at Keller Rohrback. “King County has been a leader in working to end the opioid crisis. But, it’s time that the companies responsible for the epidemic be held accountable for the disaster they created. This lawsuit seeks to do just that.”

The United States is in the grip of an opioid crisis. King County, one of the largest counties in the country, has been deeply affected by this epidemic. In 2016, 219 residents died from opioid-related overdoses. From 2007 to 2016, fatal overdoses caused by opioids were the leading cause of drug-related deaths in King County.

Read the complaint here.