Prescription Overdose. Prescription Overdose Attorneys in Cleveland

Fighting for Victims of the U.S. Opioid Crisis

“Prescription drugs are causing a larger overdose epidemic than illicit drugs ever have,” according to a recent Ohio Department of Health report. In fact, the number of overdose-related deaths [in this state] skyrocketed more than 370 percent between 1999 and 2010, making it “the leading cause of injury death … surpassing motor vehicle traffic crashes for the first time on record.”

If someone you love was catastrophically or fatally injured due to a prescription drug overdose, attorney Chris Mellino welcomes you to contact our office today for a free consultation. Our Cleveland prescription overdose lawyers have more than three decades of experience handling complex medical malpractice claims and litigation. We are prepared to fight for you.

Contact us online or by phone at (440) 333-3800 for a free and confidential consultation.

Opioid Abuse Statistics

Opioid pain relievers such as Oxycodone/OxyContin, Hydrocodone/Vicodin, Methadone, Fentanyl patches, and Morphine cause nearly three out of four prescription drug overdoses in this country, the report stated. In 2008, opioid abuse resulted in nearly 15,000 deaths, which is equivalent to a plane crash killing 350 people per day for three-and-a-half months.

A year later, opioid abuse prompted 475,000 visits to the emergency room.

Locally, LifeCare Ambulance responded to 1,962 overdose calls in 2012, per the Morning Journal on August 7, 2013. More specifically:

• Amherst’s number of prescription drug overdose calls increased from 25 in 2008 to 137 in 2012
• Lorain’s surged from 827 in 2008 to 1,208 in 2012
• Elyria’s rose from 542 in 2008 to 583 in 2012

Though the Centers for Disease Control has estimated that 25 to 66 percent of Ohioans who die from an overdose took drugs that were prescribed to someone else, some doctors unscrupulously cash in on the popularity of painkillers.

Clearly, these highly addictive drugs are being over-prescribed, which is why, in 2010, the FDA mandated that pharmaceutical manufacturers change the labels on extended-release opioids to read “pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term treatment,” rather than “moderate-to-severe pain.” In October 2013, Ohio changed its own prescribing guidelines.

To learn more, contact our Cleveland prescription drug overdose attorneys at (440) 333-3800. We can help you determine if you have grounds for legal action.