Recently, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York extended the deadline for the filing of individual claims against Purdue Pharmaceutical for injuries or wrongful death due to the use of opioids. Originally, the deadline to file claims was June 20, 2020. However, the court has recently extended that deadline to June 30, 2020.

Purdue Pharmaceutical developed the drug OxyContin, which was originally used for palliative (comfort) care for terminally ill patients. Originally, a letter appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine stating that people given opioids for comfort measures rarely became addicted. Well, Purdue Pharmaceutical took that letter and ran with it.

They marketed opioids to the general public as a safe pain relief medication. They even invented junk science alleging that, as long as OxyContin or other opioids were taken as prescribed by a doctor, they are not addictive, and would provide pain relief for 8-12 hours. Doctors began prescribing OxyContin and other opioids to patients of all ages, and as pain relief for routine medical procedures such as tooth extractions. Purdue, and its owners the Sackler family, made billions of dollars in profits. Their goal was to, according to internal e-mails: ‘keep ’em high; keep ’em alive.”

Not surprisingly, people became addicted in massive numbers, creating the public health crisis we have today. As a result, states, counties, cities, and towns all sued the manufacturers and distributors of opioid pain medication. Knowing that they could owe billions of dollars in damages, the Sackler family and Purdue Pharmaceutical filed for bankruptcy protection.

The original lawsuits that led to this bankruptcy were filed by municipal entities. However, the judge assigned to the bankruptcy petition opened the door for individuals to file claims. The cases fall into these main types:

  • Wrongful death due to overdose
  • Addiction and the economic loss associated with that
  • Economic Loss by the family members of those who became addicted to opioids

If you, or a family member, has been impacted by opioid use, please contact this office. I can assist you in filing your claim, and help you with providing the documents you need to prove your claim.

Time is running out. The window to file a claim slams shut on June 30. Please call me at (716)-481-7309 or e-mail me at hibsgaffer@jeffjeffmarionlaw.com to make sure your claim is filed on time.