COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Board of Commissioners formally decided Tuesday to join at other Michigan cities and counties in an ongoing lawsuit against 21 drug companies, distributors and pharmacies in an attempt to get back expenses from the national opioid crisis.
The Detroit law firm of Sommers and Schwartz will be working on behalf of Branch County. They were chosen by Commissioners after they and a Lansing area law firm made presentations in March.
Commissioners favored Sommers and Schwartz because attorney Lisa Esser from the firm said in March the county would pay no fees.
Esser pointed out during her presentation there were 268 opioid overdoses in Branch County between 2013 and 2016. She added the administration of Narcan is a cost that could be recouped as part of the litigation.
The defendants in the suit have claimed they are innocent. The Lansing State Journal reported in an article last December that Purdue Pharma issued a statement that said “We are deeply troubled by the opioid crisis and we are dedicated to being part of the solution. … We vigorously deny these allegations and look forward to the opportunity to present our defense.”
