Oklahoma
County has joined over 50 other cities and counties in Oklahoma to prosecute
opioid manufacturers for damages caused by the opioid epidemic.
This
move comes at the end of the state’s trial against pharmaceutical giant Johnson
& Johnson, which alleged the company created a public nuisance through
deceptive marketing and seeks $17 billion in abatement costs.
All
three Oklahoma County Commissioners voted Wednesday morning to approve a
contract between the county and the Fulmer Sill law firm for the “prosecution
and trial of claims against various opioid manufacturers, distributors, and
others,” according to the contract.
“The
staggering nature of the problem created by the opioid crisis is imposing costs
on all of us,” said Commissioner Kevin Calvey, who led the initiative for the
county. “And it’s important that we look out for the taxpayers and try to
recover some of those costs from those who knew or should have known the impact
of their actions.”
Lawyers
with Fulmer Sill did not have the specific amount of damages they will seek for
the county, but said they expect it will be “tens of millions of dollars.”
“The
total cost to our community, not just government but out community — it’s over
$379 million. That’s a staggering figure,” Calvey said. “For Oklahoma County, it’s
over $23.5 million.”
The
law firm will get no money from the county if no settlement is reached, but
will take 15% of funds otherwise. Calvey said should the county win its case,
his hope is to dedicate all funds toward mental health and substance abuse
treatment and diversion programs.
“It’s
a big case so there are a lot of moving parts … . We’ll just proceed with the
litigation and try to get the rightful reimbursement for the taxpayers of
Oklahoma County for the cost imposed on taxpayers by the pharmaceutical
companies,” Calvey said.
About OrionNet Systems
OrionNet is an Oklahoma small business
founded in 2001. OrionNet has designed, developed and supported applications
created both for the client-server and web environments, as well as developing,
marketing and supporting a commercial application for the counseling centers
industry.
Visit the OrionNet Systems’ website, www.iorion.com,
or their social media pages, https://twitter.com/ThinkHealth & https://www.facebook.com/pages/OrionNet-Systems/139352156150090 for
more information.
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