City Announces Lawsuit Against Opioid Distributors, Manufacturers

NEW LONDON, CT — Mayor Michael Passero announced Thursday that the city will file a lawsuit in Connecticut Superior Court to hold opioid drug manufacturers and distributors accountable for the damages incurred by New London in dealing with the opioid epidemic.

According to a news release sent out by the city, the defendants’ conduct has imposed a "direct, foreseeable and substantial financial burden" on New London. As a result, the city's agencies and personnel have devoted an increasingly large portion of city resources on public health, social and human services, law enforcement, police, fire and first responders, as well as outreach initiatives designed to combat the crisis.

The city will now seek an order requiring the defendants to bear these costs, as opposed to the taxpayers.

“Tragically the opioid crisis has devastated my city," Passero said in a release. "Between 2016 and 2018 there have been 16 opioid fatalities in New London, a community with a population of only 27,000 people.”

According to Passero, there were 187 non-fatal overdoses between 2016 and 2018, and the city has "incurred significant annual costs" in dealing with this crisis.

“Enough is enough,” Passero said. “These companies knew that they were leading people into the gripping disease of addiction. We must demand accountability from the companies who are responsible for creating this crisis by recklessly promoting the dangerous drugs that cause devastating addiction, forcing the city to allocate ever-increasing resources to respond to this crisis. Officials in New London are working tirelessly with many dedicated partners to prevent, support and treat those impacted by this disastrous public health crisis.”

Passero said the city will be represented by the law firm of Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP, an international law firm headquartered in Connecticut with additional offices in New York, Ohio, California and London, England.

The firm has an exceptional track record of high-profile cases involving antitrust, securities, and other complex litigation on behalf of public entities, institutional investors, pension funds, multinational corporations and hedge funds, and has recovered billions of dollars for its clients.

Photo credit: Videowokart/Shutterstock.com