Mora County Files Lawsuit Seeking Damages Against Manufacturers and Distributors of Opioids

MORA, NM--(Marketwired - August 31, 2017) - Mora County has become the first New Mexico governmental entity to seek damages against the manufacturers and distributors of opioid painkillers.

Mora County Commissioners, Paula A. Garcia (Chair), George A. Trujillo, and Alfonso J. Griego unanimously voted Monday (August 14, 2017) to retain the firms of Napoli Shkolnik, PLLC (New York) and Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway, P.C. (Albuquerque) to file a lawsuit on behalf of Mora County. Mora County joins numerous governmental entities nationwide already represented by Napoli Shkolnik. In New Mexico, the Napoli law firm has associated Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway. Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway is an Albuquerque-based law firm that focuses on catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation to ensure corporate accountability.

The lawsuit filed against various manufacturers and distributors of prescription opiates alleges fraudulent and negligent marketing and distribution of opiates. The lawsuit seeks damages to be paid to Mora County for costs it has incurred in combating the opioid epidemic. The law firms stated that they are aware of interest on the part of other governmental entities to join in the litigation effort.

"Mora County is proud to lead the charge in New Mexico in this ground-breaking litigation," stated Paula A. Garcia, Chair, Mora County Commissioner's board. Ms. Garcia stated "the opioid epidemic has caused devastation, touched virtually every citizen's life and certainly has caused the County to incur expenses and utilize resources needlessly."

"For many years the manufacturers and distributors of opioid pain medications have earned billions of dollars in profits flooding this country with opioids" says Napoli Shkolnik PLLC attorney Joseph L. Ciaccio, "these lawsuits seek to force those companies to clean up the devastation caused by these pills."

Josh Conaway of Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway notes that "the rate of opioid overdose related emergency department visits has increased in New Mexico between 2010 and 2015. In 2014, three out of every 4 drug overdose deaths involved prescription opioids or heroin. Mora County has one of the highest opioid overdose rates of any New Mexico county."

"These drug companies have poisoned our communities and polluted our children" says Paul Napoli of counsel for Napoli Shkolnik PLLC. "The painkiller overdose epidemic is a classic case of putting profits before people," he said. "Many opioid manufacturers were so intent on selling as much product as possible that they either turned a blind eye towards, or intentionally buried, reports that these drugs were highly addictive and potentially deadly."