Weber County officials on Thursday announced they're joining a growing number of municipalities around the state that are suing drug manufacturers over the opioid crisis.
At the Utah Capitol, Weber County Commissioner James Ebert introduced the lawsuit that was filed in state court.
"These dollars would help to offset the costs for families. They would also help to offset the costs for taxpayers. And we find that to be the real reason that we're looking at the litigation," Ebert said.
The suit names a handful of pharmaceutical companies including Purdue and McKessen, drug distributors and two Utah doctors. The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.
Weber County Attorney Chris Allred said it's time to hold these companies accountable.
"The manufacturers and the distributors actively and knowingly concealed and misrepresented just how addictive these products are, particularly long-term," Allred said.
Matthew McCune, one of the attorneys on the case, said Weber joins 12 other counties in Utah and hundreds more across the country that are in the process of suing pharmaceutical companies over the human cost of the opioid epidemic.
Weber County Lawsuit by KUER News on Scribd
