Losing a spouse is something that cannot truly be put into words. An envisioned future of shared dreams and completed goals that is taken away by the negligence of a legally responsible party deserves compensation. If you have lost a spouse who is one of the more than 300,000 Americans who has passed away due to an opioid overdose, then you need to protect your legal rights by discussing a possible lawsuit with an opioid overdose attorney.
Here are the facts to know concerning possible opioid litigation over the death of a spouse or family member.
Opioid Medication May Have Been Overprescribed
If your spouse was overprescribed opioid medication that led to addiction and an eventual overdose death, our team at The Ledger Law Firm will investigate and represent you to make sure that legally responsible parties are accountable for their negligent actions.
Overprescription is a significant problem in the United States, which contributes to the fact that four out of five opioid prescriptions worldwide are made for Americans. Since the rise of the opioid crisis, research has continuously suggested that surgeons need to change the way they prescribe medication to patients. Simply put, opioids are overprescribed, and this fact has led many surgeons and physicians today to prescribe fewer opioids or avoid the prescription of opioids entirely.
Still, the crisis is far from over, with the CDC determining that an estimated 70,000 opioid overdoses led to the death of an opioid victim in 2017.
Drug Manufacturers and Distributors Can Be Sued for a Loved One’s Overdose Death
It is important to realize that, often, a loved one’s overdose death was not an unavoidable tragedy. To the contrary, it was likely caused by a responsible party’s negligence, which necessarily means it should have been avoided.
One of the parties most ongoing opioid litigation believes to be responsible for the opioid epidemic is none other than Big Pharma, which entails the manufactures and distributors of opioid medication. Prominent pharmaceutical companies that are already defendants in thousands of opioid lawsuits include:
- Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin
- Endo Pharmaceuticals
- Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Plenty of other manufacturers and distributors have been sued as well, and most of the lawsuits relate to the following types of opioids:
- Fentanyl
- Oxycodone
- Hydrocodone
- Morphine
- Methadone
- Codeine
You may know these opioids by their more immediately recognizable brand names, which include:
- OxyContin
- Percocet
- Vicodin
- Duragesic
- Opana
- Nucynta
- And more
Talk to The Ledger Law Firm to Pursue Compensation for Your Spouse’s Opioid Overdose
If your husband or wife passed away from an opioid overdose, talk to a personal injury lawyer at The Ledger Law Firm to protect your legal claim and pursue justice. Our law firm has a proven history of winning personal injury and wrongful death cases, and we are applying our national resources and reputation toward helping the victims of the opioid epidemic receive the compensation that is owed to them.
We will investigate your claim to help you get to the truth of whether your loved one’s death was caused by a negligent doctor, opioid manufacturer or pharmaceutical company. Contact us online for a free case evaluation with an opioid overdose lawyer at Ledger Law today.
Emery Brett Ledger brings more than 27 years of experience to personal injury law. He founded & led The Ledger Law Firm in securing over $100 million in compensation for clients with life-altering injuries & complex claims. Licensed in California, Texas, & Washington, Emery earned his law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. His practice areas include car & truck accidents, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, maritime claims, & mass tort litigation. He has been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100, Mass Tort Trial Lawyers Top 25, and America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys. Emery also received the 2025 Elite Lawyer Award & holds a perfect 10.0 Avvo rating with Platinum Client Champion status. His legal work has been featured on CNN, Forbes, NBC, & ABC.
