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Nebraska Opioid Malpractice Attorney

Representation for Victims of Opioid Addiction in Omaha

Between 2000 and 2020, more than 270,000 Americans died of prescription drug overdoses. The opioid crisis in America is a serious concern for millions of people, and Nebraska residents are not immune to the very real threat that this crisis presents.

The first step toward dealing with opioid addiction is education: understanding how opioids work and what they do to a person's brain chemistry. In addition, treatment for opioid addiction is vital to help victims fight back and regain control over their lives.

Irresponsible doctors and negligent pharmaceutical companies have been held criminally and financially responsible for the active role they played in the opioid crisis.

Helping a loved one deal with opioid addiction is a great start, but you may be able to take action beyond that. Contact Bottlinger Law L.L.C. by calling (402) 505-8234 today and speak with a knowledgeable opioid attorney to discuss your options.

How Does Opioid Addiction Work?

Opioids refer to a class of drugs that work by binding to the "opioid receptors" in a person's brain. These receptors typically respond to chemicals naturally produced by the human body, such as endorphins, which our bodies create to help reduce pain and produce a sense of pleasure.

Opioids include both legal and illegal drugs: morphine, heroin (diamorphine), oxycodone, hydrocodone, and more.

Legal opioids are often prescribed for patients after serious medical procedures such as surgery or major dental work. They are used to help patients manage pain after, or prior to, surgery intended to reduce or eliminate back or neck pain.

Opioids should be taken in relatively low doses and for fairly short periods of time. Unfortunately, over the past few decades, some doctors have been prescribing opioids in large dosages and for very long periods of time that go beyond what is necessary or reasonable, creating a surge in opioid addiction.

Addiction Is a Disease

It can be easy to think of addiction as nothing more than a behavior, but in reality opioid addiction truly is a disease. Prolonged consumption of opioids or taking high doses actually changes the way opioid receptors function inside a person's brain. When the brain is no longer functioning properly, this is the very definition of a disease: a malfunctioning organ within a person's body.

Overcoming this disease often requires professional help from medical experts, deep support from family members and friends, and understanding from the community. It is very difficult to overcome, but it can be done.

Are Doctors Liable?

Opioid addiction can occur in a number of different ways; for example, addiction to banned opioids like heroin is usually the result of illegally acquiring and using the drug. When a doctor prescribes opioids for an unnecessarily long time, or provides these drugs for a minor pain, gives the wrong dosage, or offers them to a person with a history of addiction, then medical malpractice may have occurred.

In some cases, doctors may be held criminally liable and they could be subject to a medical malpractice lawsuit. According to the Washington Post, several doctors have been convicted and put in jail for running “pill mills” that put profits ahead of their patients’ health.

Are Manufacturers Liable?

Many states across the country have filed lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies such as Mallinckrodt, who have been pushing opioids on the public in record numbers for decades. Jim Geldhof, a DEA supervisor who investigated Mallinckrodt said, “they were up to their eyeballs in Oxycodone, and they knew exactly what they were doing.”

Mallinckrodt pressured sales representatives to aggressively sell dangerously addictive opioids such as Roxicodone and Exalgo, even when the sales representative reported to Mallinckrodt that doctors were prescribing them in irresponsible ways. Litigation forced Mallinckrodt to provide a $1.725 billion trust to assist the communities affected by their extremely negligent behavior.

Find Out if You Have a Case

You may be able to file a claim against a doctor, Mallinckrodt, or another pharmaceutical provider if some form of negligence or medical malpractice has played a part in the addiction of a family member.

To determine whether a manufacturer or doctor has been negligent and could be held liable in civil court, you need an experienced Nebraska opioid lawyer to look into your case.

Call Bottlinger Law L.L.C. (402) 505-8234 today to learn more. We'll discuss your situation and talk about the options available to you. Your consultation is FREE and confidential.

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