Suboxone Lawsuit Filing Deadline Nears for Many Tooth Decay Claims in 3-Year SOL States

As the three-year anniversary of the Suboxone warning label update nears, attorneys are expected to file a large number of lawsuits for those who suffered tooth decay before the statute of limitations may expire in many claims.

Suboxone Lawsuit Filing Deadlines

As the three-year anniversary of the Suboxone tooth decay warning label update approaches in June 2025, thousands of new Suboxone lawsuits are likely to be filed over the next few months, since statute of limitations law in several states may establish a deadline for certain users to raise allegations that they were never warned about these risks.

Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone) is a prescription medication sold by Indivior Inc., which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002, for treatment of recovering opioid addicts. The medication is designed to help users avoid withdrawal symptoms while undergoing therapy to help them break their addiction.

While originally sold as a tablet, the drug makers subsequently introduced Suboxone film, which users place beneath the tongue until it is dissolved. However, within several years of the delivery design change, Indivior and the FDA began to receive tooth decay reports from patients, which ultimately led to Suboxone dental side effects being added to the drug’s warning label in June 2022.

The updated warning label prompted a wave of Suboxone lawsuits to be filed, with each claim alleging that patients suffered severe dental damage, with many requiring expensive and painful dental procedures caused by Suboxone tooth decay, all of which could have been avoided if the manufacturer had properly warned patients and healthcare providers.

Given the similar allegations and questions of fact and law raised in each of the complaints, thousands of claims filed throughout the federal court system have been consolidated in a multidistrict litigation before U.S. District Judge Philip Calabrese in the Northern District of Ohio, where they have recently been cleared to move forward toward an early series of bellwether trials in an attempt to promote a global Suboxone tooth decay settlement for plaintiffs.

However, attorneys expect Indivior to argue that the statute of limitations began when the Suboxone warning label was updated, meaning individuals in certain states with a three-year filing deadline may be required to file their claim before June 2025.

Every legal claim has a statute of limitations, or deadline that requires a lawsuit to be filed within a certain amount of time. Determining the deadline for each Suboxone tooth decay lawsuit depends on the state law that applies, and when the cause of action arose.

In this post, AboutLawsuits.com will outline the factors that influence the Suboxone lawsuit filing deadline, as well as steps that can be taken to file your claim on time to seek compensation for your injuries.

How Long Do I Have To File A Suboxone Lawsuit?

The amount of time you have to file a Suboxone tooth decay lawsuit depends primarily on your state’s statute of limitations (SOL) laws. These laws set strict deadlines for how long you have to bring a product liability claim after being harmed by a defective or dangerous drug like Suboxone.

In most states, the statute of limitations for filing a product liability lawsuit is two or three years. However, these timeframes can vary depending on whether your state starts the clock from the date of injury, the date of diagnosis, or the date you discovered that Suboxone may have caused your dental issues.

Since Suboxone lawsuits involve injuries like tooth decay, tooth loss and other serious dental complications that may not appear immediately, many users did not realize their harm was linked to the medication until well after they began treatment.

This makes it essential to act quickly. If the deadline passes, you may lose your right to seek financial compensation, regardless of how serious your injuries are. A qualified attorney can evaluate your case and determine exactly how much time you have left to file a claim, based on your specific circumstances and state laws.

What is the deadline to file a Suboxone lawsuit?

In the Suboxone litigation, the drug’s manufacturer, Indivior, is expected to argue that the statute of limitations for Suboxone lawsuits began in June 2022, when a new Suboxone dental decay warning was added to the drug label.

As a result, individuals in many states with a three-year statute of limitations are planning to file their claims by June 2025, to preserve their rights and avoid the need to raise arguments that a later deadline applies. However, the specific deadline for each case may vary depending on:

• When you began using Suboxone film
• When you were diagnosed with tooth decay, tooth loss or other dental injuries
• When you learned that Suboxone may have caused your dental issues
• The statute of limitations laws in your state

Because these deadlines can be complex and vary by jurisdiction, it is important to have a Suboxone lawyer review your situation as soon as possible to determine whether you may still be eligible to file a claim.

What if I was never alerted about the Suboxone warning label change?

If you were never made aware of the Suboxone warning label change in June 2022, that does not necessarily mean that the statute of limitations did not start running at that time.

While Indivior, the drug’s manufacturer, is expected to argue that the statute of limitations began running when the updated warning was added, that position is not legally absolute, and it will ultimately be up to a court to decide whether your claim is time-barred.

Under the discovery rule, recognized in many states, the statute of limitations does not begin until you knew or reasonably should have known that your injury was caused by a specific product. In the context of Suboxone, many users may be able to maintain that neither they nor their doctors were adequately warned about the dental risks—despite the June 2022 label update. Some patients only became aware of the link between Suboxone and severe tooth decay after seeing media reports, speaking with attorneys, or learning about the ongoing litigation.

In situations like this, plaintiffs may argue that they did not have a fair opportunity to discover the cause of their injury until well after the label change. Courts are often willing to consider these arguments on a case-by-case basis, especially when there is evidence that the manufacturer failed to take adequate steps to notify the medical community or consumers directly.

Furthermore, if your dental injury did not occur until after June 2022, or significantly worsened due to continued Suboxone use, you may have an entirely separate injury timeline, which could extend your deadline even further.

Just because you weren’t aware of the label change in 2022 doesn’t mean it’s too late to file a claim. The statute of limitations clock may not have started until you were diagnosed, linked your injury to Suboxone, or reasonably could have done so.

Who Qualifies for a Suboxone Lawsuit?

Individuals who were prescribed Suboxone film that developed any of the following injuries or conditions may be eligible for compensation through a Suboxone lawsuit settlement:

• Severe tooth decay
• Tooth loss
• Broken teeth
• Tooth extractions
• Underwent oral surgery
• Other serious tooth problems

Find Out If You Can Still File a Suboxone Lawsuit

Even if you haven’t filed a Suboxone lawsuit yet, you may still have time. The deadline to file depends on your state’s statute of limitations, which typically ranges from two to three years from when you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered that Suboxone may have caused your dental injuries.

Submit information about your potential claim today for a Suboxone tooth decay lawyer to review your case and determine whether you are still eligible to file. Consultations are always free and lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no fees or expenses unless your case is won.