The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit this week against major manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid drugs, alleging their responsibility for an opioid addiction epidemic that is devastating Menominee community, families, and individuals.
The lawsuit seeks to hold these manufacturers and distributors financially responsible for harm they have caused to the Menominee Tribe and its members and to compel them to change their conduct to help end this epidemic.
“Menominee continues to endure the most catastrophic effects of this opioid epidemic. We need to hold these manufacturers and distributors accountable,” Menominee Tribal Chairman Douglas Cox said in a press release. “This lawsuit is part of our tribe’s effort to combat the opioid crisis that not only harms tribal members, but puts great strain on the tribe’s provision of health, AODA, and law enforcement services.
“Our families in Menominee know all too well what the realities of this crisis looks and feels like, and this action is needed to protect our tribal community from this epidemic.”
The complaint, filed on behalf of the tribe by the Robins Kaplan LLP in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, accuses the defendants of allegedly marketing prescription opioids in a manner that fraudulently concealed and minimized their addiction risk, and failing to comply with federal prescription drug laws intended to prevent the diversion of prescription opioids and prevent their abuse.
The suit seeks relief for the defendants’ alleged violation of the federal Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, state deceptive trade practices act and under theories of intentional misrepresentation, negligence, unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy. Defendants in the case include pharmaceutical manufacturers Purdue Pharma LP, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and Allergan PLC, and pharmaceutical distributors McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., and AmerisourceBergen Corp.