Attorney Christian Bryner spoke with the Carbon County Commissioners as they took time out of their specially-scheduled meeting on Monday evening to discuss the possibility of the Jones Waldo Law Firm representing the county in an opioid litigation.
Bryner explained that four bids were submitted by different law firms that wished to represent the county in the nationwide litigation against opioid distributors and manufacturers. After conferring with other attorneys, Bryner stated that the decision was that Jones Waldo was the best option.
Rather than filing the suit in Carbon County, a whole suit will be filed in federal district court where other suits have been filed. The case will then likely be processed with the over 800 other claims that are being handled. The Jones Waldo firm is going to to represent over 450 of said cases with some of the top litigators involved in the lawsuit.
Bryner further explained that Utah County also chose this firm and it gives the county the best chance as far as monetary recovery in that there’s no expenses required to be paid by the county upfront. He concluded by stating that he feels as if they have signed on with excellent attorneys and the commissioners will be well represented by them.
Before this contract was approved by the commissioners, Commission Chair Jake Mellor stated that the purpose of entering into litigation in the suit is in an effort to encourage pharmaceutical companies to not push narcotics before other procedures and methods to get to the root of the opioid epidemic in Carbon County.