Medford Massachusetts Mayor Stephanie Burke announced that Bonsignore Trial Lawyers filed suit against the Sackler family others including sales executives.

MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS , USA, February 13, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- MEDFORD, MA. – Mayor Stephanie M. Burke announced today that Bonsignore Trial Lawyers has filed suit on behalf of the City of Medford Massachusetts against the Sackler family and others including Purdue sales executives. The lawsuit also names pharmaceutical drug manufacturers, the wholesale drug distributors and others that have contributed to the opioid epidemic costing the community millions of dollars.

The lawsuit is the first lawsuit in New England filed by a municipality against the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharmacy. The complaint also names the largest manufacturers, distributers of prescription opioids and their related companies and advances RICO claims including detail specific claims against corporate executives.

“We are determined to stop this epidemic from further destroying the lives of the people in our community. This lawsuit is one part of the collaborative effort that is needed by municipal, state and federal leaders along with lawmakers, doctors, law enforcement and health officials to join forces to find workable solutions,” said Mayor Stephanie M. Burke. The lawsuit does not seek to remove opioids from the market. It seeks to recoup taxpayer dollars that have been expended and that will be expended into the future.

Attorney Robert Bonsignore stated "The carnage left in the wake of this artificially created Opioid Epidemic strikes all of us without regard to income, employment, ethnicity or demographics. We are committed and will fight this Opioid epidemic to the end, recoup the costs that the taxpayers have expended, and force those who knowingly profited to pay the costs going forward.” Attorney Robert Bonsignore added “These legalized drug dealers have made billions of dollars at the expense of taxpayers and the overall well-being of the America.”

The suit alleges that the Defendants willfully and knowingly over distributed highly addictive and dangerous opioids in the market through the use of a variety of deceptive and unscrupulous activities and techniques. Also, that the Defendants falsely represented to medical providers that prospective patients would rarely succumb to drug addiction. The complaint also alleges that the Defendant's successfully persuaded the American Medical Association to change their policy as relates to pain management to insure ever exponentially increasing sales and that they target marketed groups such as veterans and the elderly. The allegations against the distributors is based on a breach of their duties to detect and report suspicious orders of prescription opioids.

“Medford engages in systematic efforts to prevent first use of opioids and prevent overdose deaths by acquiring grant funding for prevention that began with establishing the Office of Prevention and Outreach with two city-funded staff to organize community efforts and outreach to our most vulnerable citizens,” added Mayor Burke. “From 2000 to 2017, 164 Medford residents lost their lives to an opioid addiction. This loss is beyond tragic because it was preventable. Parents, children, significant others and friends lost a lifetime of experiences and cherished memories. In some families this avoidable tragedy has struck more than once.”

The cost of this epidemic, including treatment, education and law enforcement continues to rise. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, in 2016, 2,069 people lost their lives due to opioid-related overdoses in the state, a 15 percent increase from the prior year. The City’s goal is to hold pharmaceutical drug manufacturers and wholesale distributors accountable for failing to do what they were charged with doing under federal law – monitor, identify and report suspicious activity in the size and frequency of opioid shipments to pharmacies and hospitals.

Bonsignore PLLC is an experienced Medford law firm that has held powerful pharmaceutical industry accountable. Among other governmental entities, the Bonsignore firm also represents Fitchburg Massachusetts and 8 of 10 New Hampshire counties as well as multiple cities and towns across New England.

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