Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, may be entitled to recover compensation from prescription opioid producers and marketers in Westmoreland County, PA opioid litigation. Westmoreland County has sustained significant losses as a result of the opioid epidemic.
According to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) data, Westmoreland County (total population 365,169) experienced a 38% increase in overdose deaths from 2015 to 2016. Most of these overdoses involved the opioid fentanyl. The opioid heroin was the next most frequently involved drug in these deaths. See DEA Analysis of Overdose Deaths in Pennsylvania, 2016, (U) Appendix Figure 66.
Westmoreland County reported 918 overdose deaths between 2009 and 2017. The majority of these deaths involved opioids fentanyl and heroin. Westmoreland County reported 189 drug overdose deaths in 2017. Included in these deaths were 138 involving the opioid fentanyl and 54 involving the opioid heroin. (Note: Most 172 of the 189 drug overdose deaths involved more than one drug.)
In 2016, Westmoreland County had 174 confirmed alcohol and drug overdose deaths. The opioid heroin was involved in 94 of these deaths.
Cause and Recovery of Westmoreland County
Opioid-Related Costs
Prescription opioid manufacturers engaged in a deliberate and aggressive marketing scheme that encouraged overuse of prescription opioids while downplaying the risks of opioid addiction. Westmoreland County has seen increasing opioid addiction and abuse and has experienced extensive costs as a result. Responsible prescription opioid producers and marketers may be liable to Westmoreland County for losses associated with the opioid epidemic.
An MDL (Multidistrict Litigation) was formed on December 5, 2017, to increase the efficiency of pre-trial and discovery phases of federal opioid litigation. Federal opioid cases instituted by governmental entities such as Westmoreland County will be filed in the MDL court in the Northern District of Ohio for this part of the litigation.
[See Pennsylvania Opioid Government Litigation Lawyers for additional details about the economic burdens of the opioid epidemic, causes of action, and recoverable damages.]
Westmoreland County, PA Opioid Info. & Resources
- Westmoreland County Overdose Deaths
- Westmoreland County Accidental Overdose Statistics
- Westmoreland County Drug Overdose Task Force
- Westmoreland County Community Action Drug Overdose Task Force
Pennsylvania Opioid Information & Resources
- Drug Presence in Pennsylvania, 1999-2016
- Cocaine / Fentanyl Combination in Pennsylvania
- Overdose Free PA
- DEA: Pennsylvania Drug Overdose Deaths Jump 37% in 2016
- Commonwealth Prevention Alliance Stop Opiate Abuse Campaign
- Pennsylvania: Treating and Preventing Opioid Addiction
- Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs: Opioid / Heroin Reversal (Naloxone)
- DEA Analysis of Overdose Deaths in Pennsylvania, 2016
Other Opioid Information
- CDC Foundation’s New Business Pulse Focuses on Opioid Overdose Epidemic
- Federal Opioid Litigation Multidistrict Litigation (MDL)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse: Opioids
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Opioid Medications
Inquire About Westmoreland County, PA Opioid Litigation
Feldman & Pinto, P.C., is a Philadelphia based personal injury firm concentrating their practice in pharmaceutical litigation and medical malpractice. We are part of a team of lawyers engaged in a fight to compensate local governmental entities for costs incurred as a result of the opioid epidemic.
Please contact us to inquire about the possibility of commencing Westmoreland County, PA opioid litigation.