Woman Failed to Support Claim that OxyContin Contributed to Husband's Death, Manufacturer Awarded Summary Judgment

LONDON, Ky. - The manufacturer of OxyContin was awarded summary judgment on Feb. 28 when a federal judge found that the plaintiff could not offer sufficient expert testimony to support her assertions that the opioid contributed to her husband's death. Deena Couch v. Purdue Pharma, L.P., et al., No. 01-370-DCR (E.D. Ky.).

U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves' opinion states that none of plaintiff Deena Couch's purported medical experts supported her theory that the drug masked the pain stemming from her husband's life-threatening condition, thereby allowing a period of time to elapse before suffering the ruptured gallbladder that caused his …