Opioid manufacturer battling its way through business litigation

Many people in California have, at some point in their lives, taken prescription pain relief medication for various acute or chronic conditions. The manufacturer of a frequently prescribed opioid used for such purposes is currently involved in business litigation where city officials in another state have accused the company of trying to turn a profit by knowingly making its product available in illegal drug markets. As often happens in business litigation situations, complications have arisen that have caused frustration for the plaintiffs in this case.

The pain medication in question is OxyContin. A city in the northwestern part of the country filed a lawsuit two years back against Purdue Pharma, claiming the drugmaker was involved in illicit profit-making activities by allowing its product to be sold in pill mills. A federal judicial panel recently ordered this particular case to be joined with approximately 60 other similar cases pending in federal courts throughout the nation.

An attorney representing the city of Everett, Washington says the judicial panel's order is unfair because it will likely delay his client's ability to seek relief. As it stands, the city filed the initial civil lawsuit intending to prove that Purdue Pharma's actions have led to a serious opioid crisis there. The federal judicial panel ruled that the projected benefits of combining the cases outweighs any potential impediments.

In any type of business litigation in California or elsewhere, unforeseen turns of events like this one can change the options available to a particular plaintiff. This is one of many reasons it is best to secure experienced legal assistance ahead of time. An attorney can help overcome most obstacles that arise.

Source: spectrumlocalnews.com, "Police contract dispute prompts Austin officers to retire", Jeff Stensland, Dec. 20, 2017