A Suffolk judge ruled this week that opioid manufacturers and distributors have shown no reason why dozens of suits against them by counties and municipalities from across New York State should be dismissed.
Similar suits from around the state, including those filed by Nassau and Suffolk counties, were consolidated into one action before state Supreme Court Justice Jerry Garguilo in Central Islip, who is hearing Suffolk suit. After he resolves all pretrial issues, the suits will return to their home jurisdictions for trial.
The suits claim the businesses fueled the opioid epidemic through a fraudulent marketing campaign that misrepresented the drugs’ safety and effectiveness. They seek compensation for the governmental costs of dealing with opioid addiction, which include higher expenditures on Medicaid, rehabilitation programs, law enforcement and even a greater number of autopsies.
