Madison Co. commissioners take steps to fight opioid epidemic
DENMARK, Tenn. — Madison County commissioners on Monday approved the hiring of a firm out of Florida to represent them in a lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of opioids.
“There have been numerous lawsuits filed across the country to deal with the over prescription of drugs and the opioid crisis,” Steve Maroney, the county attorney, said.
All of these cases have been consolidated into a mass tort claim. Several Tennessee counties have already hired firms to represent them.
“It’s important to go ahead and get a claim filed for the sake of the county because after the first of the year the state could act in some way that would preempt the county of being able to make its own individual claim,” Maroney said.
If Madison County did not file a claim and there was a settlement, the county would be at the mercy of the state as to how much money they would receive.
No taxpayer money will be used to pay for these attorneys.
“Madison County will pay the attorneys that represent it out of any recoveries that we make,” Maroney said. “So if there’s no recovery, there will be no tax dollars in on the attorneys for this.”
About 180 local jurisdictions have joined the lawsuit. Maroney says this is the start of a long road.
Opioids include heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone.
Maroney said there will be an initial hearing after the first of the year in Cleveland, Ohio, and then the case will begin to take shape.
