Newtown News of Interest
42.5K views | +0 today
Follow
 
Scooped by johnmacknewtown
onto Newtown News of Interest
Scoop.it!

Bucks Commissioners Plan Civil Suit Against Opioid Makers

Bucks Commissioners Plan Civil Suit Against Opioid Makers | Newtown News of Interest | Scoop.it

Bucks County commissioners approved Wednesday the hiring of a New York City-based law firm to file a civil claim against the manufacturers and distributors of opioid drugs.


Scott & Scott LLC will work on the case on a contingency fee basis, contracted to collect 22.5 percent of any financial recovery from the suit, plus costs. They represent several other governmental entities in opioid lawsuits against drugmakers, but their only other current Pennsylvania client is Mercer County.

“The horrific cost of human life is impossible to replace, and the ruin of families and communities is tough to rebuild,” said Commissioner Chairman Rob Loughery Wednesday morning. “Nothing is more important than a human life, but we have responsibilities as a county, and the cost we are bearing is astronomical. We are doing everything we can to fight the epidemic, to provide treatment and the services people need. But you have this whole issue of supply and manufacturing that is the leading cause of this. We believe this is an important route for us to take and another resource in our toolbox.”

 

Further Reading: 

• Attacking the Root of the Opioid Crisis - Pharmaceutical Companies: http://bit.ly/2tEHoNT 

 • Wolf declares opioid crisis a state disaster emergency: http://bit.ly/2EpGxVP

 • Pennsylvania Underestimates Death Due to Opioids by More Than Half!

 • The Other Cost of the Opioid Epidemic: Increased Taxes: http://bit.ly/opiodsandtaxes

 • PA Attorney General Subpoenas Opioid Producers: http://bit.ly/2Es2Ytf

 • Bensalem First Local Government to Sue Opioid Manufacturers: http://bit.ly/2BLA8U6

johnmacknewtown's insight:
While I am appreciative of all that Bucks County is doing to help fight the opioid epidemic, I think creating a 6-person drug task force at a cost of nearly a million dollars per year is a tactic that has been used before - i.e., the "war on drugs" - and it has proven to be a failure. Meanwhile Bucks County residents are going to be stuck with the taxes to pay for this no matter the outcome of the civial case.
No comment yet.
Newtown News of Interest
These Scoops are excerpts from articles published in local newspapers and other sources that may be of interest to Newtown area residents. Please click on the "From" link to access the full original article. Any opinions and "insights" appended to these article summaries are solely those of John Mack and do not represent the opinions of any other person or entity.
Curated by johnmacknewtown