Bloomington, Monroe County to file suit against opioid makers

The practice fueled the current heroin-based opioid crisis that kills people every day; in Monroe County, more than 50 people have died from opioid overdoses since 2015. During a news conference at the courthouse Wednesday morning, Monroe County commissioner Julie Thomas said IU Health Bloomington Hospital saw a 433 percent increase in opioid overdoses from 2012 to 2014. She said a review of pharmacy records shows 106 opioid prescriptions for every 100 Monroe County residents.

City and county officials signed a contract with the Indianapolis legal firm Cohen & Malad LLP to file the lawsuit on their behalf. It will mirror other legal actions filed in federal court over the matter. Cohen & Malad filed a similar lawsuit for Indianapolis last month. Ten states and dozens of cities around the country have done so as well, as the opioid epidemic taxes community resources and continues unabated.

Attorney Richard Shevitz said his law firm will be working for the county on a contingency contract, which means the firm gets no money up front, but would receive one-third of any cash settlement that might be ordered by a judge or jury. Local officials would use proceeds obtained from the lawsuit to pay for treatment and programs to address the public health crisis.