Guardians of Opioid-Addicted Children Ask MDL Judge for Class Certification

CLEVELAND — Guardians of children diagnosed with opioid withdrawal syndrome have asked the judge overseeing the national opioid multidistrict litigation docket to certify a class in order to provide medical monitoring and surveillance “necessary to address and understand the effects of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).”

In a Jan. 7 motion, the guardians asked Judge Dan Polster of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to create two nationwide classes asserting claims under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act.

“One nationwide class will be composed of guardians of NAS children whose birth mothers were prescribed opioids at any …