B.C. government to introduce amendments to allow Ottawa to join class-action suit against opioid makers – CTV
Oct. 18, 2022
The B.C. government says it will introduce amendments to legislation that would allow the federal government to join a B.C.-led class-action lawsuit seeking to recover health-care costs related to the sale and marketing of opioid-based pain medication.
The province says the changes to the Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act would allow Ottawa to join B.C. and other provinces and territories in the class-action suit that is pursuing damages from companies that allegedly contributed to the opioid addiction crisis.
The province said Monday the amendments would expand the number of potential defendants in the case and also ensure that corporate officers and directors can be held accountable for the actions of their companies.
“B.C. led the country in holding opioid manufacturers and distributors accountable, and today B.C. is expanding its opioid litigation legislation,” Sheila Malcolmson, B.C.’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, said in a statement Monday.
