On Thursday, June 13, the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners filed suit in federal court against the largest manufacturers and distributors of opiates to recover costs related to the opioid crisis.
The suit alleges opioid manufacturers and distributors engaged in deceptive and illegal marketing schemes and helped create the public health emergency caused by the overuse of prescription opioids.
The county is seeking to prevent further misrepresentation of the risks and benefits of opioid use; recovery of costs related to addressing the opioid crisis locally; recovery of legal fees related to the suit; and the abatement of the public nuisance created by the defendants.
The civil action, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, lists 30 defendants comprising opioid manufacturing and distribution companies. The county is being represented by the legal consortium of Ferrer Poirot & Wansbrough, Fears, Nachawati, McNamee Hosea, Motley Rice and the Kane Law Group. The law firms are representing the county on a contingent fee basis and will not be compensated unless the county receives a financial benefit as a result of the proposed claims.
