Beyond Addiction: Opioids Take a Heavy Toll on Palm Beach County Taxpayers

Palm Beach County, Florida has the fourth-highest rate of opioid-related death in the United States, among counties with a population of over 1 million. In addition to bringing allegations of fueling the county’s opioid crisis by misleading doctors, hospitals, and patients and negligently overlooking the harmful effects of the medications they produce, Palm Beach County is seeking to hold approximately 29 pharmaceutical companies responsible for the injurious economic impact of their practices on the entire county.

The Ferraro Law Firm Goes Up Against Big Pharmaceutical Companies

Our firm is representing the county in this landmark case. We cannot sit idly by while people in our communities continue to experience devastating personal consequences as a result of opioids.

Opioid Crisis Affects Hospitals, Foster Care System, Homelessness, and More

According to the 266-page complaint and related lawsuit, “Palm Beach County spends millions of dollars each year to provide and pay for health care, services, pharmaceutical care and other necessary services and programs on behalf of residents.”

In addition to increasing the amount of money the county must spend on necessary healthcare services and emergency response services each year, the opioid crisis has also caused the county’s homelessness rate to balloon. It has also had a negative effect on families, causing many addicted parents to lose their jobs and their ability to provide for their children, flooding the county’s foster care system. Last year, roughly half of all new foster care admissions were credited to parental drug abuse.

Palm Beach County Mayor Weighs In

Palm Beach County Major Melissa McKinlay said, “The thousands of Palm Beach County families struck by this epidemic deserve to hold someone accountable for deceptive, unscrupulous practices involving opioid dispensing, advertising and prescribing.” Mayor McKinlay has said “enough is enough,” and this trial provides saddening insight into just how widely affected Floridians have been by prescription (and over-prescription) of dangerous opioid medications.

Tough Trial Lawyers Standing Up for Floridians and South Florida Communities During the Opioid Crisis

At The Ferraro Law Firm, we get results. Whether representing individuals or governmental entities like Palm Beach County, we apply the same level of rigor, attention, and commitment to winning at all costs, because we understand that the legal outcomes we achieve directly affect individuals in the community. This is especially true during the Palm Beach County lawsuit against approximately 29 big pharmaceutical companies allegedly responsible for fueling the opioid crisis in South Florida.

Tune into the latest news regarding the Palm Beach County lawsuit and watch our experienced Florida trial lawyers go to work on behalf of Floridians and their opioid-affected loved ones.