A deadly epidemic in the United States is the dramatic increase in fatalities from the use of prescription opioids, the pharmaceutical drugs that resemble morphine in both chemical structure and physical effect. In 2010, there were 16,500 such deaths, more than four times as many as in the year 2000. In fact, over 100,000 people in the United States have died from using prescription opioids since this century began. In response, the city of Chicago is taking on Johnson & Johnson and four other drug companies for allegedly pushing painkillers, creating addicts, and leaving a big tragic mess for the rest of us to clean up. “Since 2007, the city has paid for nearly 400,000 claims for opioid prescription fills, costing nearly $9,500,000,” lawyers for the city said in a state court complaint filed in June.
It is unlikely that Americans are that much more pain-afflicted than we were just a decade ago. What, then, accounts for the ever-larger number of prescriptions, addictions and deaths? At least three factors: deception, greed, and laziness. Drug companies push their products with advertising that busy or gullible doctors all too often fall for. Open any medical journal; you’ll discover ads for drug products from an ad industry which excels at the art of deceiving without ever telling a specific, outright lie.
Doctors are happy to prescribe something that brings visits to a quick end; they can see more patients. Doctors are not allowed as they once were to prescribe harmless placebos, so they have to offer something that might work, even if it is potentially dangerous and does more longterm harm than good. Doctors are more focused on finding a cure to end the patient’s symptoms instead of trying to treat the condition in a natural or less harmful way. The result has been catastrophic. Dishonest drug companies and greedy, lazy doctors have caused an epidemic that, were it caused by a virus, would mean sensational headlines and calls for immediate action.
If your loved one has died because of prescription drug use, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering if you can prove it was a wrongful death. This may seem like a tall task, but with the help of an experienced Chicago wrongful death attorney, nothing is impossible.
If you have lost a loved one in the Chicago area from prescription drug use, speak at once to experienced Chicago wrongful death attorney Joseph Dooley to discuss whether or not you have a case. A wrongful death lawyer in Chicago will review the details of your case, identify who was liable in the death, and then discuss your legal options with you to make sure you are making the right choice. A good wrongful death lawyer will work diligently and fight hard for you and your family, but it’s imperative to launch a wrongful death suit as quickly as possible. Speak to an experienced Chicago wrongful death attorney and begin receiving the compensation that you and your family need and the justice that you deserve.