CARROLLTON Carroll County has joined numerous cities and counties across Ohio, including Tuscarawas and Stark counties, in suing drug manufacturers and distributors to recoup money spent to battle the opioid epidemic.
Commissioners voted unanimously on Monday to hire the law firm of Greene, Ketchum, Farrell, Bailey & Tweel of Huntington, W.Va., to represent the county in the suit. According to a resolution approved by the board, "There exists a serious public health and safety crisis in this county involving opioid abuse, addiction, morbidity and mortality."
"It's unfortunate it has to come to this, but because of the serious addiction problems people have in Carroll County, we have to offset the costs," said Commissioner Jeff Ohler.
The county chose to work with the West Virginia law firm because a member of the firm, Paul T. Farrell, Jr., who is licensed to practice in Ohio, has "designed a plan and assembled a national consortium of elite trial counsel to investigate, pursue civil litigation and hold responsible those in the chain of distribution of prescription opiates for the public health and safety crisis," the resolution said.
Under the terms of the agreement with the law firm, Carroll County will not have to pay attorney fees if there is no recovery of funds from drug companies. If the county wins, the attorney fees will be paid by the drug companies.
"It won't cost the county any money," Ohler said.
It was necessary to join the nationwide lawsuit, he said.
"Because of the opioid epidemic, it has cost a lot of departments money because of the services they have had to extend to people," he said. Those departments including the sheriff's office, the court system, the health department and Job & Family Services.
"We're hoping to get money for treatment to try to help these people overcome these addictions," Ohler said.
County officials have no idea how much it has cost Carroll County to deal with addicts, he said. "At some point, we'll be responsible for formulating some kind of dollar figure on how the county's been harmed."
Commissioners have been discussing the possibility of joining the lawsuit since the first of the year.
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
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