B.C. Class-Action Suit Against Opioid Providers Allowed by Top Court
Canada’s highest court gave the go-ahead for British Columbia to pursue a class-action lawsuit against opioid providers, a step in tackling the province’s ongoing illicit drug crisis. This ruling means the lawsuit can move forward and potentially involve multiple governments.
British Columbia’s Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, specifically Section 11, empowers the province to take legal action against opioid manufacturers and distributors on behalf of other governments, allowing any government to choose not to participate in the process.
Some companies argued that Section 11 violated the Constitution, but B.C. courts upheld the law as valid. The matter made its way to the Supreme Court, which concluded that British Columbia’s law respects the legislative sovereignty of other Canadian governments.
This decision could pave the way for a national effort to hold opioid providers accountable for the impact of their products on public health systems. It marks another crucial step in addressing the far-reaching consequences of opioid misuse in Canada.
