When the companies and the plaintiffs reached settlements that kept the cases from going to trial, judges allowed important evidence to remain secret . So companies kept selling addictive pills , dangerous cars, faulty rifles and many other harmful consumer products for years, and in some cases even decades. It is unacceptable that factual information about harmful products can remain secret when it involves public health and safety. Instead, the information from that lawsuit and many others against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma remained secret until it was leaked to the Los Angeles Times in 2016. When they collect evidence that is critical to keeping people safe, that information should also belong to the public.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 11, 2022 05:39 UTC