1,000 Lawsuits Filed Over OxyContin August 29, 2005
News Summary
Purdue Pharma, the maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin, was hit by about 1,000 separate lawsuits filed on Friday by residents of Staten Island, N.Y., the Associated Press reported Aug. 27.The lawsuits contend that the pharmaceutical company is at fault for the addictions suffered by OxyContin users and is seeking damages from the company. The plaintiffs contend that Purdue marketed OxyContin dishonestly and failed to tell doctors, pharmacists, and patients about the drug's addictive potential.
The individual suits were filed after a Staten Island judge decided not to certify a class-action lawsuit against Purdue. On Friday, 14 cartons of documents were dropped off at a Staten Island courthouse.
Purdue promised to defend the case strongly. "Over the last four years, Purdue Pharma has never lost an OxyContin personal-injury lawsuit," said company spokesperson Timothy Bannon. "On the contrary, 365 personal-injury lawsuits involving well over 1,000 plaintiffs, including many cases brought by these same personal-injury lawyers, have ended in Purdue's favor. We expect these new cases will be no different."
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