Mass litigation panel established for W.Va. babies born addicted
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Attorneys in Beckley are taking part in a mass litigation panel to help compensate children and caretakers who have been impacted by the opioid epidemic.
A 2019 survey by the U.S. Census Bureau showed that in Raleigh County, W.Va. alone, 44 percent of grandparents in the region were raising their own grandchildren.
The law offices of New, Taylor, and Associates are part of a mass litigation panel in West Virginia to see justice for these children. Under the panel, attorney Steve New said children are entitled to compensation as late as two months after their 18th birthday.
He said the opioid companies were negligent in their labeling efforts with expectant mothers -- refusing to put adequate warnings on addictive opioid drugs that could cause harm.
“Some (of the children) are horribly developmentally delayed. They will have problems the rest of their lives. If we don’t do something to get justice and compensation for these children, they’ll never catch up, and it will always be up to society to care for these children.”
New said the main element to qualify is to be able to show that the child was born addicted, a condition also referred to as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS).
Former U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin, Braley & Thompson in Charleston, and a number of other attorneys across the state are also part of the suit.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.