Six Nashville children are suing top opioid manufacturers, a suit that could lead to a large damages settlement.
The children, referred to by pseudonyms Baby Doe or Baby Roe, were born addicted to opioids and are all between the ages of 2 and 8 years old, according to the lawsuit. They are represented by a court-appointed guardian, the Tennessean reported.
The lawsuit states that each child was born dependent on opioids, resulting in extreme withdrawal symptoms such as crying, shaking, arching their backs, and refusing to eat.
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“After more than a decade of unbridled distribution of prescription opioids by Defendants, their birth mothers’ community was awash in painkillers, fueling a dramatic increase in those exposed to and addicted to opioids,” the lawsuit states.
The suit is filed against companies that handle opioids: manufacturers such as Endo International and Johnson & Johnson; pharmacies such as CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens; and individuals and local companies accused of running pill mills.
The lawsuit was filed in Davidson County Circuit Court this summer and moved into federal court last month — the first suit to be filed in the county, according to lead attorney Tricia Herzfeld.
This is not the first attempt in Tennessee to file suit against opioid companies. Many suits have been filed under Tennessee’s Drug Dealer Liability Act, which holds opioid companies financially responsible for any harm that stems from their products. In August, the state of Tennessee was part of a $450 million federal settlement against Endo International, per the Tennessean.
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“Babies born dependent on opioids are innocent victims of the opioid crisis,” Herzfeld said of the lawsuit. “We filed this lawsuit to get these babies the help that they need from those who profited from this crisis.”
The report noted that the lead attorney for many of the defendants did not return a request for comment as of press time.
