The City of Prescott has filed a lawsuit against a group of opioid manufacturers and distributors, including Purdue Pharma, Insys Therapeutics, Alargan and others including the family that owns Purdue Pharma.
The lawsuit, filed in Yavapai County Superior Court, alleges the city suffered societal and financial harms as a result of opioid abuse due to irresponsible and manipulative behavior by the companies.
The city will not join a class-action suit filed by other municipal governments, and keeping the suit in Arizona could benefit it.
By keeping the case separate, city can go after money that would help fix specific problems caused by opioid abuse in the city.
Lawyers argue it became a hub sober living and rehabilitation facilities, and led to an increase in homeless addicts.
They say this situation does not necessarily occur in other places, and is unique to Prescott.
Jeff Reeves is an attorney for the national firm hired to handle the suit.
“When you have that volume coming in to one place, it has all kinds of problems, not the least of which is the fact that many of these were operated by unlicensed operators.”
The national class-action suit involves around 1,800 municipal governments including several in Arizona, and is based on harm done to communities from opioid abuse in general.
