Quincy To Sue Pharmaceutical Companies For Role In Opiod Crisis

QUINCY, MA — The City of Quincy will be the first community in Massachusetts to sue the pharmaceutical industry for their alleged role in the opioid crisis.

Mayor Thomas Koch announced this week that the City intends on perusing legal action against pharmaceutical companies and has signed a no-fee contract with Washington D.C.-based law firm Motley Rice. In his announcement, Koch said the industry deceptively downplayed the dangers of addiction ranging from pills to illegal drugs like heroin and fentanyl.

"We have to be willing to fight this crisis on every front, and holding the drug industry accountable for its deceptive and dangerous practices is an important one," Koch said.

Litigation will focus on targeting opioid manufacturers, distributor, and other groups or individuals that played a role in causing or spreading the crisis, according to Koch.

The no-fee contract means that the City will have to pay attorneys a percentage of any award for damages received as part of litigation.

Last year, an estimated 2,107 people in Massachusetts died from an opioid overdose. In Quincy, 42 tied in 2016 and 175 have died since 2012.

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