November 5, 2024 | Dangerous Drugs Lawsuits

Have you been harmed by the opioid crisis? If you have been negatively affected by an opioid addiction or the opioid crisis, you owe it to yourself and your family to contact us for a free evaluation to determine if you are due damages for your injuries.

This is a common call-to-action that many law firms use to alert people they may receive some financial relief for the pain and suffering the opioid crisis has caused them.

At High and Younes, we have processed thousands and thousands of claims for people affected by this terrible crisis.  The word opioid has been in many people’s mouths as people talk about the opioid epidemic, also known as the opioid crisis. Opioids are classified as a drug that is derived from a synthetic version of opium.  Morphine is the most abundant natural opioid, which is found in opium, which is commonly used as a pain reliever.

Pharmaceutical companies presented the medical community with prescription opioid pain relievers in the late 1990’s. They convinced the medical community that patients would not become addicted to the pain relievers as they released low dosages of the opioids. As these pain relievers proved to be very effective, especially in providing relief for both chronic and acute pain, healthcare providers began to prescribe the drugs at high rates.

Increased prescriptions of opioid pain relievers resulted in widespread misuse of the medications. Figures show that roughly 29 percent of patients who are prescribed opioids for relief from chronic pain end up misusing the medication. In fact, up to 12% develop an addiction to the drug. Up to 6 percent of those that misuse opioid medication end up with a heroin addiction. Studies show that up to 80% of people that use heroin started out by misusing an opioid prescription.

The societal burden of the epidemic is not only felt by the poor but within all classes of society. The epidemic has placed a significant burden on the economy due to increased healthcare costs and deaths due to overdose. The CDC estimates that prescription misuse of opioids costs the US government of $78.5 billion per year. These costs include healthcare, addiction treatment, loss of productivity as well as criminal justice costs.

Opioids are absorbed into the blood and pass through the blood brain barrier. They attach to the brain cells’ opioid receptors where they cause the cells to release signals that muffle the perception of pain. They also boost feelings of pleasure. Opioids taken in low doses make people feel drowsy. However, higher doses will slow down the heart rate and breathing. This can lead to death. The feeling of pleasure that these drugs induce can also lead to addiction.

Opioid Levels:

Opioid addiction (Opioid use disorder (OUD)) occurs when attempts to cut down or control use are unsuccessful or when use results in social problems and a failure to fulfill obligations at work, school, and home.  Opioid addiction often comes after the person has developed opioid tolerance and dependence, making it physically challenging to stop opioid use and increasing the risk of withdrawal.

Opioid dependence occurs when the body adjusts its normal functioning around regular opioid use. Unpleasant physical symptoms occur when medication is stopped.

Opioid tolerance occurs when a person using opioids begins to experience a reduced response to medication, requiring more opioids to experience the same effect.

The devastation the opioid crisis has caused is abundantly evident.  If you or any family member has been harmed by this crisis, you may want to consider filing a claim.   We have a website set up to specifically deal with filing an Opioid Settlement Claim.

Click here for More Opioid Settlement Information

Click here to directly File a Claim

Opioid Crisis