Family Awarded $11 Million After Mother Dies Of Kratom Overdose

Kratom is a naturally occurring herbal supplement that has been the subject of a growing number of wrongful death lawsuits. The supplement is sold in the United States as an herbal supplement that can enhance mood. In lower doses, it has a stimulant effect. In higher doses, it can cause sedation. Americans use the substance for a variety of reasons even as the packaging may state that it’s not for human consumption. There isn’t much else you can do with kratom other than consume it. In ultra-high doses, kratom can act as a respiratory depressant.

A recent lawsuit in the State of Washington alleged that a mother collapsed and died from a kratom overdose while cooking breakfast. The case went to trial and the plaintiff was awarded $11 million in damages from the company that made it available to the public. A growing number of lawsuits are being filed against kratom manufacturers on the basis of wrongful death. Plaintiffs claim that manufacturers provide insufficient warnings concerning the danger associated with kratom use.

Failure to warn 

Many product liability lawsuits are filed under a theory that the manufacturer failed to warn potential users about a known danger. Kratom is marketed as an “all-natural herbal supplement.” This gives users the illusion that the substance is safe when it is anything but. Overdoses do happen on kratom, especially from manufacturers that sell high-dose shots. Some of these can be purchased at gas stations. So far, regulatory efforts to ban or limit access to kratom have not caught up with the substance’s death toll. Manufacturers, for example, do not advertise that kratom is potentially addictive and can lead to overdose in higher doses.

Kratom is known to act on opioid receptors in the brain. In other words, it’s a bit like a poor-man’s heroin. It provides an improvement in mood and for some, it reduces pain. However, there is a considerable risk of addiction and overdose associated with the substance.

As of now, manufacturers are facing product liability lawsuits under the theory that they fail to warn users about the potential dangers of kratom. In at least one case, they lost the lawsuit to the plaintiff whose family recovered $11 million in damages assessed by the jury.

Failure to warn lawsuits are filed under a theory that consumers should have the best available information when purchasing a product. In the case of kratom, the manufacturers are insinuating that the substance is safe because it is “all natural.” Purchasers believe that natural substances are safer than engineered substances, but many of the kratom products have been artificially manipulated to make them stronger.

Talk to a Florida Product Liability Lawyer Today 

Halpern, Santos & Pinkert represent the interests of those injured or killed by dangerous or defective products. Call our Florida personal injury attorneys today to schedule a free consultation and we can begin preparing your lawsuit immediately.

Source:

usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-08-01/11-million-awarded-to-family-of-woman-who-died-after-taking-kratom