Charleston Dangerous Drugs Lawyer
Many people believe that a 100-word letter to the editor in a 1980 medical journal sparked the opioid epidemic. The doctors who wrote this letter asserted that “the development of addiction is rare in medical patients with no history of addiction.” These doctors did not anticipate the development of a new generation of opioid painkillers which were more powerful than morphine or even heroin. These drugs, and the addiction they cause, have ravaged countless communities in South Carolina.
At the Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm, our insightful Charleston dangerous drug lawyers understand that a crisis of this magnitude rarely has a single cause. Opioid drug overdoses, which killed almost no one in 2013, killed nearly 40,000 Americans in 2019. So, after a thorough investigation, we identify the responsible parties and hold them accountable in court. That’s the only way these helpless victims can obtain fair compensation for their serious injuries.
Individual Responsibility
The aforementioned ravages are often far reaching, for both individuals and communities. Individuals often lose their health or their lives. Cash-strapped local governments must pick up the pieces by doing things like hiring more police officers, expanding public health facilities, and pouring more resources into the criminal justice system.
Individuals are largely responsible for these ravages. After all, they took the drugs. However, another individual usually put those drugs in their hands and/or gave them a safe place to use them.
Many doctors wrote prescriptions for Fentanyl and other extremely powerful pain medicines in inappropriate situations. Very few people need Oxycontin for a sprained ankle. Other doctors wrote prescriptions without asking too many questions. The duty of care requires physicians to thoroughly check patient history and prescribe the minimum reasonable medication.
As for property owners, there is probably at least one “drug house” in your neighborhood. Landlords, managers, and owners either know what is going on and do nothing to stop it, or they turn a blind eye to the events which take place in the buildings they own. Both these things violate their duty of care.
Legal responsibility in these cases usually means paying compensation, either to individuals or to governmental entities which suffered loss.
Corporate Responsibility
Companies like Perdue Pharma did not just recklessly make powerful drugs, as mentioned above. In many cases, these companies marketed these drugs to nonwhite and/or poor communities. The individuals in these communities were especially vulnerable to addiction issues, and the drug companies knew that was true.
For this reason, our Charleston dangerous drug lawyers can use some innovative legal theories, like public nuisance, to obtain compensation. Public nuisance is often an effective theory, but these claims have a lot of moving parts.
Drug manufacturers made millions from opioid sales. Drug shipping companies made billions. These companies usually assert that they were just moving product, so they had no hand in the crisis. But the Controlled Substances Act requires such companies to ask relevant questions before they ship drugs. Companies which ignored this responsibility are now paying the price.
Connect with a Dedicated Charleston County Dangerous Drugs Lawyer
Opioid injury victims are entitled to fair compensation for their serious injuries. For a free consultation with an experienced Charleston dangerous drug lawyer, contact the Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm. Attorneys can connect victims with doctors, even if they have no money or insurance.
