/
Huntington Fire Chief Jan Rader stands outside of U.S. District Court in Charleston on Friday after testifying that the flood of prescription opioid pills fueled the addiction crisis in Huntington and Cabell County. Photo by Lauren Peace.
This story was originally published by Mountain State Spotlight. Get stories like this delivered to your email inbox once a week; sign up for the free newsletter at
Jan Rader left the defense without questions on Friday.
The Huntington Fire Chief detailed life on the frontlines of an overdose epidemic that she says wreaked “carnage” across her community. Rader was the last person to testify during the first week of a landmark trial brought by Cabell County and the City of Huntington against the “Big Three” drug distributors.
×
Thank you for Reading.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Please purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.
1st week of landmark trial against opioid distributors ends
Poll
Yes
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia fire chief who starred in an Oscar-nominated documentary about battling drug abuse in ground zero of the nation’s opioid epidemic took the stand in a landmark trial Friday against three large drug distributors.
Huntington Fire Chief Jan Rader testified to the growing number of overdoses first responders handled over the past decade, recounting how pill bottles were at the scenes of so many calls they responded to. Defence attorneys representing the companies declined to ask her questions, The Herald-Dispatch reported.
Rader’s testimony concluded the first week of the trial in a case where Cabell County and the city of Huntington accuse drug distributors AmerisourceBergen Drug Co., Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corp of fueling the U.S. opioid epidemic.
Today
Showers in the morning, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 62F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..
Tonight
Showers in the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. Low around 40F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Updated: May 7, 2021 @ 2:05 am
CHARLESTON The state Attorney General s office isn t a party to the landmark federal trial regarding the Big Three opioid distributors taking place just blocks from his state Capitol office, but Patrick Morrisey is keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
The first week of the trial concluded May 7 as Huntington Fire Chief Jan Rader testified about her and her department s experience dealing with the epidemic and overdoses. The City of Huntington and Cabell County sued AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson in 2017 over their role in the overdose crisis after more than 80 million doses of the drugs were sent to the area in an eight-year period. The trial resumes May 10.