Volusia County, FL - The Volusia County Council will vote at its Tuesday meeting whether or not to hire a lawyer to represent the County in a civil suit against opiate manufacturers and distributors for possible damages related to the "opioid epidemic."
The litigation would address opioid use as a "significant problem in the community" and would focus on "the manufacturers and wholesale distributors and their role in the diversion of millions of prescription opiates into the illicit market, which has resulted in opioid addiction, abuse, morbidity, and mortality," according to County records.
If Tuesday's measure is approved, Volusia County would retain the law firm, Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Rafferty & Proctor and associates for representation in opioid litigation. Peter Mougey would serve as lead counsel in the civil suit.
The law firm would be hired on a contingency fee basis, and Volusia County would pay 25% of the total money received related to opioid litigation claims to the law firm. County records say that Volusia would only be responsible for the fees if the County is awarded money as a result of a civil suit against the opioid manufacturers and distributors.
Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Rafferty & Proctor, along with its associated firms, has represented approximately 350 government agencies around the country in opioid claims, including Escambia County, Manatee County, Miami-Dade County, Pasco County, and Pinellas County.
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