“ A beta tester in Huntington botched 40 straight surgeries , and I received those cases as medical malpractice cases ,” he recalls . “ What I realized was that while the doctor was struggling with this surgery , the product was also failing miserably . I was the first person in the country to file a product liability case for women with transvaginal mesh . Because I filed the first 40 cases in the country , soon , 80,000 more cases were filed all over the U . S ., and they were all transferred here to West Virginia for one big case .”
Soon , national firms flooded West Virginia from all over the country , and Farrell watched , studied and analyzed the way these large firms worked , stowing away the information , much as he had during his experience in defense law . Driven by a dogged determination to improve his home state , he soon took on a much larger and more high-stakes target : opioid distributors .
“ There was a newspaper article by Eric Eyre that revealed 780 million pills of opium were sold into West Virginia ,” he says . “ I saw that and filed one of the first opium cases in the country against the distributors . Pretty soon , I was hired by most of Southern West Virginia and then southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky . The next thing you know , virtually every county in the country filed an identical case , and they all got sent to one place , just like before . These cases were all sent to Cleveland , Ohio . By that time , I had been hired by 700 counties across the U . S ., so I used that and my knowledge from the transvaginal mesh case to get appointed as the co-lead of the national case .”
Farrell has attempted , through transparency and accountability , to find a solution to the opioid epidemic in his home state .
“ That is my story . We have done something extraordinary but must finish the race . It is either going to be magic or tragic ,” he says . “ I am tired of going to funerals for the children of my friends . I am trying to make a difference .”
Over the past four years working on this case , Farrell has earned the respect of national firms and now considers them peers . However , he says he has also learned that West Virginia lawyers are some of the best in the country .
“ We can stand toe to toe with anybody else ,” he says . “ Those who practice law here have always understood that just because someone is from a big city , that doesn ’ t make them a better lawyer .”
While Farrell enjoys taking on these David and Goliath-like cases , the biggest challenge he has faced in his career is the impact it had on his family .
“ My father was the best dad you could ever want , and I have tried my best to follow in his footsteps , but the biggest challenge of my life has always been being a dad ,” he says . “ I have three very bright , successful children , and I have tried my best to be a dad for them . But taking on these big cases takes me away from home a lot . I think my greatest success will be the day my wife , Jackie , and I become grandparents . Then I will have had the opportunity to look backward and see whether I was able to pass on the culture , values and love my parents passed on to me .”
Farrell ’ s favorite part of living and working in West Virginia is Sunday breakfasts at his family home .
“ My father , the judge , puts on an apron and makes bacon and eggs , my mom makes waffles , and all the grandkids come in . My brothers and their families all show up on Sunday morning , the brothers pass around The New York Times crossword puzzle , and we catch up . It is our moment to connect every week .” •
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