A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in Weld County District Court following the death of Robert Simmons, with claims that he tragically succumbed to kratom toxicity. The Weld County Coroner identified the cause of death as acute mitragynine toxicity, which correlates with kratom, a substance increasingly linked to health hazards.
The lawsuit, submitted by Simmons’ widow, Erika Simmons, on September 23, 2024, alleges that he was deceived by several companies regarding the safety of kratom. The complaint asserts that Simmons was misled into believing that kratom was a natural and safe remedy for managing his chronic pain, based on the marketing assertions of the defendants, who allegedly failed to disclose the associated risks.
Tamara Spires, an attorney with mctlaw representing the Simmons family, stated that the defendants created a network of shell companies to promote and distribute kratom for financial profit, ignoring the potential dangers to consumers. The lawsuit criticizes the defendants for not providing sufficient warning labels about the risks of kratom and for falsely marketing the substance as safe for medicinal use, despite its lack of approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for any medical purposes.
This case highlights a growing national concern regarding kratom’s safety, as the FDA has issued multiple import alerts on the substance due to its association with various fatalities. The individuals and entities named in the lawsuit include One Love, Inc., Jonah V. Ricke, and several other companies linked to the kratom trade.
mctlaw is a law firm focused on complex litigation, representing clients across the nation in cases related to wrongful death and harmful consumer products.