Nine cities and counties from across Michigan are taking drug companies to court.
They are trying to recover many millions of dollars in costs related to the opioid crisis.
The lawsuits filed in federal courts claim manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy chains misled doctors and the public about the dangers of opioids. And the legal actions also say the drug companies failed to follow safeguards that would have reduced the number of people addicted to opioids.
Mark Bernstein is the lawyer for the local governments.
“What is at stake here is battling an epidemic of astonishing proportions.”
Bernstein says he expects more cities and counties in Michigan to file similar lawsuits.
The local governments say the opioid crisis has caused the costs of law enforcement, drug treatment, and human services to spiral.