Lawsuit: Fentanyl Patches Caused Young Mother's Death

Chicago, ILFentanyl patches are the focus of a recently filed lawsuit that claims the use of the painkiller led to a young mother's death.

Six years ago, 28-year-old Kerry Rupright was suffering from a painful spinal cord condition and was taken to an Illinois hospital for treatment, according to Fox Chicago.

After receiving treatment, the mother of two was taken to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where she was given a Fentanyl patch for her pain.

The attorney representing Rupright's husband and two children said that the patches made her lethargic and drowsy, which are signs of Fentanyl poisoning.

"It's more powerful than morphine in killing pain in a patient, which is obviously its upside," the lawyer told the news source. "Four to eight times more powerful."

The Fentanyl lawsuit alleges that healthcare professionals at the medical center just reduced Rupright's dosage of the painkiller instead of removing it from her completely. Four days later, Rupright died, according to the lawsuit.


The Institute said that its employees handled the case properly but it decided to settle the lawsuit for $3.75 million.