If you suffered health complications or lost a loved one due to opioid use in Baltimore, MD, you may be entitled to financial compensation. All you have to do is contact our Baltimore law office to arrange your free consultation at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers at (410) 837-2144 to speak with an experienced Baltimore opioid injury lawyer.
Opioids are addictive, and you might now be struggling with long-term drug dependency. If you would like to explore your legal options, we’re here to help. Our Baltimore personal injury lawyers can help you fight to hold the responsible parties accountable.
Opioids are powerful painkillers with significant addictive side effects. When used properly, opioids are an extremely beneficial method for managing short-term pain.
Unfortunately, the addictive effects of opioids are simply too much for many patients to bear–and doctors and pharmaceutical companies know that.
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How Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You Get Fair Compensation for Opioid Injuries
Anyone who watches the news knows about the opioid epidemic in America today. However, that wasn’t always the case.
For decades, doctors and pharmaceutical companies praised opioids for their powerful pain killing qualities.
Opioids were aggressively pushed on unsuspecting patients who had no way to know about the dangers associated with the drug.
And those parties profited dramatically as a result. Today, you might have the right to hold them financially accountable for the damage they caused.
Despite this, they won’t simply turn over the money you deserve because you claim opioids harmed you. You have to fight to get what you deserve.
At WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, our skilled personal injury attorneys in Batimore know what it takes to launch the kind of battle you need to win. We’re a family-run law firm. As such, we’re passionate about helping families who have been harmed by opioid injuries in Baltimore.
When you choose WGK Personal Injury Lawyers to represent your interests, we will:
- Thoroughly investigate the circumstances that led to your opioid injuries
- Identify anyone who might have contributed to the harm you suffered
- Work with medical, scientific, and financial experts to accurately assess the value of your claim
- File your claim for compensation against pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers and distributors, hospitals, doctors and medical facilities who share in the blame
- Fight back against insurance companies who try to minimize the value of your losses
Our lawyers have represented countless injury victims across Baltimore. Collectively, we have over 80 years of real-world, practical legal experience. We’re here to put those skills at your disposal to give you the best chance of recovering fair compensation.
Ready to learn more about getting justice for your opioid injuries? Just call for a free consultation today.
How Common Is Opioid Drug Abuse in America?
The statistics about the tragic deaths and injuries caused by opioids are startling. Despite this, Center for Disease Control (CDC) data shows that doctors in the United States continue to prescribe these painkillers on a regular basis. Here are some facts:
- Between 1999 and 2010, doctors became four times more likely to write an opioid prescription
- In that same time period, there is no indication that Americans experienced greater levels of pain to make prescription opioids more necessary
- Overall opioid-related drug deaths increased by four times between 1999 and 2018
It’s true that some doctors may have become more cautious since the height of opioid use around 2012. However, according to the CDC, doctors wrote 58 opioid prescriptions per 100 Americans in 2017.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 2 million Americans abuse opioids. In 2017, the Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health crisis in response to the opioid crisis.
Unfortunately, on average, 90 Americans die from overdose and complications associated with opioid use on a daily basis.
Understanding the Dangers of Opioid Abuse
Opioids are a type of drug that block pain signals from being sent to the brain. They also create a feeling of extreme euphoria, calm and happiness–all emotional highs that can be incredibly difficult to resist.
That’s why, just a few short decades ago, opioids were used solely to treat acute pain. In fact, they were reserved almost exclusively for treating terminal patients. Opioids are a general class of drug that include:
- Percocet
- Oxycontin
- Oxycodone
- Roxicodone
- Morphine
- Methadone
- Fentanyl
- Codeine
Today, these drugs are household names for most people. Unfortunately, opioids are often as addictive and dangerous as illicit drugs like heroin and cocaine. Often, when a prescription runs out, the patient is already so addicted that they turn to the streets to purchase more opioids.
Health Problems Linked to Opioid Use in Baltimore
In addition to the addictive nature of opioids generally, serious health complications can result from repeated, long-term use of the drug. Some health complications that are often associated with opioid abuse include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Sedation
- Physical dependence
- Increased tolerance
- Respiratory depression
- Compromised immune system
- Constipation
- Birth injuries
- Hormonal dysfunction
- Overdose
- Wrongful death
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers has seen the opioid crisis unfold over the years. Our injury lawyers have witnessed families devastated by the impact of opioid addiction–and we are dedicated to helping victims get fair compensation for their losses.
We’re just a phone call away, so call today and learn more about your right to compensation.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for My Opioid Injuries?
People who become addicted to drugs might not consider taking legal action to hold the person who gave them the drugs accountable. After all, it’s your own fault for taking the drugs, right? Not necessarily.
Opioids are different from other dangerous drugs. Most opioid injury victims started using opioids at the direction of their doctor. You might have had little idea about the risk that you were taking by filling the prescription.
As a patient, you have the right to assume that your doctor is giving good advice. You also have the right to assume that products available for your consumption are reasonably safe–and you have the right to hold all responsible parties accountable when something that’s supposed to help does more harm than good.
Finding out who is responsible will require an investigation into the circumstances surrounding your opioid use. Our compassionate, experienced lawyers will work to identify all potentially responsible parties, which may include:
Pharmaceutical Companies
Big pharma has reaped outrageous profits as a direct result of the increase in opioid use. In other words, they’ve profited from the suffering of millions of Americans who have suffered injuries and lost loved ones forever.
A drug is a product like any other. Opioid manufacturers have a duty to warn about any known dangers associated with the product. Those warnings must be adequate to apprise you of the full gamut of risk associated with opioid use.
Instead of doing this, big pharma actually spent millions advertising the benefits of opioids. Courts have even established that pharmaceutical companies have been deceptive in minimizing the drug’s addictive qualities. In fact, the Maryland attorney general has already filed a lawsuit against several major opioid manufacturers.
As a dangerous product, you may have a claim for compensation under product liability laws. Our experienced lawyers can help you with your claim and fight to get the money you need.
Doctors, Pharmacists and Hospitals
Doctors, pharmacists and healthcare facilities owe patients a duty of care. Many over-prescribed opioids and failed to inform patients about the risks associated with the drug. These healthcare professionals can be held accountable in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
A pharmacist who improperly refilled your prescription or dispensed the wrong dose can also be held liable.
What Types of Damages Are Available in Opioid Injury Cases?
When a doctor, hospital or corporation is negligent, you deserve to hold them financially responsible for the damages. In a personal injury, product liability or medical malpractice case, victims are entitled to receive enough money to make them “whole” again.
Of course, that’s usually impossible. We’ll fight to get you as close as possible. You may be entitled to damages for:
- Medical bills
- Hospitalization and emergency care
- Treatment in an in-patient rehabilitation center
- Drug counseling and therapy
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Diminished quality of life
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Damages for wrongful death, including your loved one’s treatment costs, funeral and burial expenses
- Loss of financial support
- And more
At WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, our personal injury lawyers will fight to get the full amount of compensation you deserve. We want to hold these negligent parties accountable for the damage they’ve caused to our communities and people just like you.
Contact a Respected Baltimore Opioid Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
If you or your loved one has been impacted by the opioid crisis, help is available. Our lawyers are here to help you understand your financial rights. We know that you might be grieving a loved one or struggling to get your life back on track. Financial compensation for your opioid injuries can allow you to get the quality treatment you need.
All it takes is a simple phone call to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Baltimore opioid injury lawyer. Don’t hesitate to reach out to see how our legal team at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers can help today. You can also use this online contact form to reach us.
Our Baltimore, MD personal injury law firm also offers:
- Car Accident Lawyers in Baltimore, MD
- Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers in Baltimore, MD
- Baltimore, MD Dog Bite Lawyers
- Bicycle Accident Lawyers in Baltimore, MD
- Baltimore, MD Aviation Accident Attorneys
- Baltimore, MD Medical Malpractice Lawyer
- Maritime Accident Lawyers in Baltimore, MD
- Baltimore, MD Wrongful Death Lawyers
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office In Baltimore, MD
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers – Baltimore Office
14 W Madison St, Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 837-2144
Open 24 hours
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