Number Of Counties Suing Pharmaceutical Companies Growing

Fond du Lac County is hoping to recoup some of its costs for dealing with fall out from the opioid and heroin crisis by suing five major pharmaceutical companies. Social Services and other departments have to absorb the costs of placing children endangered by their parents drug use. It has resulted in increasing caseloads and the expense of out-of-county placement. Fond du Lac County is one of 48 counties across Wisconsin involved in the class action lawsuit. County Executive Al Buechel says the counties took the initiative because when the state got a settlement from Big Tobacco companies then Governor Doyle used the money to plug a hole in the state budget and the counties got nothing. He says the county has very little risk in the suit and should get something out of it.