OxyContin Company to Pay $6 Billion in Damages

Have you ever visited the doctor with pain symptoms? If so, then you might have been offered OxyContin to help you manage your pain and discomfort. Since the FDA approved OxyContin for use as a painkiller in 1995, countless doctors have offered the drug to patients as a “safer” alternative to drugs like Vicodin and Percocet.

After getting FDA approval, Purdue Pharma made claims to the medical community that OxyContin was safer than other drugs because it was less likely to be abused. This unproven theory was based on the idea that drug users would prefer faster-acting narcotics, but in hindsight, it’s clear that the theory isn’t accurate.

Purdue has since admitted that during the time, the company specifically trained sales representatives to say that their drugs were both less prone to abuse and less addictive than competing painkillers.

After a lengthy investigation, the U.S. Justice Department determined that Purdue Pharma likely knew as early as 1999 that OxyContin was being abused and doctors were getting charged for illegally prescribing the drug to patients and others who had become addicted.

Instead of pulling back on their campaign, the company continued to lie about their product for profit. Now, some experts claim that when doctors stopped prescribing these types of painkillers as the truth came out, many patients turned to street drugs instead, which has helped facilitate the fentanyl crisis we’re dealing with today.

Now, Purdue Pharma is going through a complex personal injury lawsuit case where they will likely need to pay about $6 billion in damages addressing the harm that they’ve caused to patients, families, and individual victims. Under the lawsuit, victims claim that they were harmed by the reckless profit-seeking behavior of the Purdue company. Victims say the company defrauded consumers by lying about their product.

Do You Believe You’ve Been Injured by a Pharmaceutical Drug?

Pharmaceutical drug companies have a legal duty to provide for the safety and care of the consumers who use their products. They have a legal duty to warn consumers about known risks and hazards, and they have an obligation to be honest to the medical community about their products.

When pharmaceutical drug companies lie for profit, then that’s considered negligence under the law. That’s a clear breach of the company’s duty of care.

Under the law, negligent companies are legally liable for accidents that happen as a result of that negligence. For instance, a drug company that fails to warn consumers about the addictive nature of their product could be held financially responsible for the losses that consumer experiences when they become addicted to a drug they were prescribed.

If you believe you were recently harmed by a pharmaceutical drug that you took as directed and prescribed, then you might want to learn more about your legal rights and options. Depending on the circumstances, you might be eligible to seek out compensation for the losses you experienced as a result of the negligence of a drug manufacturer.

Schedule a meeting with our firm now to discuss your situation in more detail with our best attorneys.