Opioids

Kansas City Opioid Lawsuit Attorneys

Fighting for Justice for Opioid Victims

CDC data show that approximately 806,000 people died from opioid-involved overdoses in the United States from 1999 through 2023. Provisional CDC data estimate 44,564 opioid-involved overdose deaths during 2025, down from an estimated 55,296 in 2024. At Bertram & Graf, L.L.C., we believe pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors must be held accountable in court. In many cases, they used deceptive marketing practices to sell opioid prescriptions while knowing the drugs could have harmful side effects. If you have suffered addiction or dependence from an opioid prescription, or a loved one has died from an overdose, we can investigate your claim and pursue justice on your behalf.

Our firm has represented numerous plaintiffs in opioid lawsuit cases, including:

Cities
Counties
Native American tribes
Hospitals

Our Kansas City opioid attorneys can assess your situation and represent you in claims against drug manufacturers. Depending on the circumstances, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Our initial evaluation examines the prescription opioid involved, the prescribing circumstances, the medication supply chain, and the resulting addiction, overdose, or loss. These details help us determine which parties and legal claims the available evidence supports.

Contact our team at (888) 398-2277 for a free initial case evaluation.

The Risks & Dangers of Opioid Medications

Opioids are narcotic drugs used to relieve pain. They act on the same receptors as heroin and create a sense of euphoria. With continued use, patients can build tolerance and need more of the drug to feel relief. When taken for a long time or in a large dose, opioids may cause dependence that can lead to addiction.

Common opioid drugs include:

Vicodin®
Morphine
Codeine
OxyContin®

Opioid dependence and addiction can develop after ongoing prescription use. Opioids also suppress the central nervous system, slowing a person’s breathing and blocking nerve signal transmission to the brain. This could result in an overdose.

Holding Pharmaceutical Companies Accountable

Manufacturers of opioid drugs are being held liable in a variety of lawsuits. Investigations have shown that pharmaceutical companies overemphasized the benefits of opioids while downplaying their risks. They also paid third-party patient advocacy groups to market the drugs and used deceptive practices to push opioid sales in the United States. While thousands of people are suffering and dying from opioid addictions, these companies are making multi-billion-dollar profits.

Several pharmaceutical companies have faced liability for opioid injuries and deaths:

Johnson & Johnson
Purdue Pharma
Novartis
Endo Pharmaceuticals
Watson Pharmaceuticals
Abbott Labs
Covidien

The “Big Three” distribution companies, Cardinal Health Inc., McKesson Corp., and AmerisourceBergen Corp., have also faced lawsuits related to opioid injuries because they failed to monitor and investigate suspicious orders. We pursue claims to hold these companies accountable for negligence and deception.

The $26 Billion National Opioid Settlement

A 2021 national settlement required Johnson & Johnson and three major opioid distributors to pay a combined $26 billion. Johnson & Johnson contributed up to $5 billion, while the distributors collectively agreed to pay up to $21 billion.

Steps to Take if a Loved One Died from Opioid Overdose

If your loved one died from an opioid overdose, preserving evidence can help establish what happened. Your family may still have a claim if the overdose involved heroin or another street drug but the addiction began with a prescribed opioid.

Preserve available medication containers, prescription and pharmacy records, medical records, and communications related to opioid treatment. Records involving prescribing, dispensing, addiction treatment, and the overdose can help establish the claim’s timeline.

Gather evidence related to the overdose, including who prescribed the medication, how much your loved one was taking, what the prescribing doctor or pharmacy knew about the dosage, and which company produced the opioids. Then contact our Kansas City dangerous drug lawyers at Bertram & Graf, L.L.C. so we can investigate the circumstances and begin preserving evidence for your family’s case.

Missouri Deadlines for Kansas City Opioid Claims

Under Missouri Revised Statutes section 537.100, a wrongful death action must be commenced within three years after the cause of action accrues. Most Missouri personal injury claims that don’t involve death, including claims based on opioid addiction or dependence, have a five-year general civil filing period under Missouri Revised Statutes section 516.120.

The applicable deadline depends on the type of claim and its accrual date, which is when the legal claim begins for filing purposes. Prompt legal review gives our attorneys time to identify the controlling deadline and preserve available evidence.

Who Can File a Missouri Opioid Wrongful Death Claim?

Missouri law establishes a priority system for people who can bring a wrongful death action.

Eligible claimants are considered in this order:

First priority: A surviving spouse, children, descendants of deceased children, or parents
Second priority: Siblings or their descendants when no first-priority survivors exist
Plaintiff ad litem: A court-appointed person when no eligible family member brings the action

Compassionate Legal Support for Opioid Victims - (888) 398-2277

Bertram & Graf, L.L.C. represents people harmed by prescription opioids. Our Kansas City dangerous drug attorneys can answer your questions, prepare the necessary documents, and represent you in court against those responsible. Throughout the process, we communicate clearly and tailor our recommendations to your needs.

We develop an individualized legal strategy for each case. We offer free consultations, including virtual consultations. We handle product liability matters for clients across the country and are willing to travel when an in-person meeting would benefit the case. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t pay legal fees unless we recover on your behalf.