BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Whatcom County Council has voted unanimously to contract with a law firm to assemble a lawsuit against several makers of opioid painkillers.
“The goal for Whatcom County is to get some kind of judgment that requires these companies to mitigate [these problems] and help us support programs to combat opioid addiction,” says Councilmember Todd Donovan.
He adds that the lawyers will work with the county health department and local law enforcement to assess the cost of dealing with the opioid epidemic.
The same law firm is representing Tacoma and several other Washington counties in similar lawsuits.
The county won’t pay legal fees to the firm, which will only be paid if it wins a lawsuit.