Government Entity Litigation

Just like any other plaintiff, government entities (counties, cities, and school districts for example) have the ability and right to sue, whether it be to abate public nuisance (exemplified by the opioid litigation) or for fraud, deceptive acts, and breach of contract (such as the insulin price fixing litigation).

Fortunately, the mass tort system is allowing smaller players to pool their resources and even the playing field against these corporate giants. In many cases, government entities are suing large corporations for the harm they are doing to their citizens and the overall communities, to abate nuisances, enjoin fraudulent and deceptive conduct, and to restore money to public entities and/or their clients who have been victimized by corporate misconduct.

Litigating on behalf of government entities requires experienced counsel to address the novel and complex issues that arise in these matters which can quickly become costly to pursue.

Powell & Majestro P.L.L.C. is an industry leader in mass tort representation. We have represented government entities in a variety of mass tort cases. With decades of experience, our firm has been involved in some of this country’s largest mass torts, including the national opioid litigation. Our firm has the experience and knowledge required to help our government entity clients get the justice and maximum compensation they deserve.

Insulin Overpricing

Over the past year, a growing number of state and local governments across the U.S. have sued insulin makers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) over claims the companies conspired to illegally inflate prices of the life-sustaining medication.

Despite there being no changes in how insulin is made, there have been significant increases in insulin prices (as much as 1,000%) in the U.S. over the past 20 years. Because millions of Americans with diabetes rely on these medications, some are forced to ration their use or go without entirely because it is no longer affordable.

Powell & Majestro, PLLC has recently been retained by the West Virginia State Auditor and West Virginia Public Employee Insurance Agency (WV PEIA) to pursue claims against the insulin manufacturers and PBMs for artificially inflating the price of insulin at the expense of self-funded health plans and the members and beneficiaries. The suit seeks monetary damages and disgorgement for the excessive insulin prices resulting from violations of deceptive and unfair trade practices, unjust enrichment and breach of contract, among other potential claims.

Social Media Addiction

Multiple U.S. school districts and state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against a number of social media giants for the harm done to communities and minors due to the addictive nature of social media algorithms. The defendants in these cases are Meta, Snap, Inc. ByteDance, and Google. On October 13, 2023, a California judge ruled that litigation on these cases could continue, which is expected to influence similar cases nationwide.

In just one example, on October 24, 2023, a coalition of 33 attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging that the company knowingly designed and released harmful features on its platforms meant to addict children and teens. Nine additional attorneys general have filed similar lawsuits in their respective states.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, also alleges that Meta routinely collects data on children under the age of 13 without their parent’s consent, which violates federal law. The litigation seeks to not only stop harmful tactics but also have the company pay restitution and fines.

Contact Our Experienced Government Entity Litigation Attorneys

With over 100 years of combined experience, our lawyers are uniquely qualified to advocate on behalf of government entities. We take our role as legal advocates seriously and leverage our deep knowledge of the law and strong legal network to achieve positive results.
Whether you have a case referral or would like to discuss how our firm can help your municipality, we want to hear from you. Please call (800) 650-2889 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation in our Charleston office. Video consultations are available for individuals who reside outside of Charleston.