The family of a Palm Beach
County woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against
Sean Michael Harder, of Grow LLC
(d/b/a KD Incorporated and The Kratom Distro). The lawsuit alleges
that Mr. Harder's kratom products are responsible for the death of
39-year-old mother of four, Krystal
Talavera.
PALM
BEACH Fla., Nov. 28,
2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The family of a
Palm Beach County woman has filed
a wrongful death lawsuit (Case No. 9:22cv81731) against
Sean Michael Harder, of Grow LLC
(d/b/a KD Incorporated and The Kratom Distro). The lawsuit alleges
that Mr. Harder's kratom products are responsible for the death of
39-year-old mother of four, Krystal
Talavera.
According to court documents, Krystal died on Father's Day 2021,
just days after celebrating her oldest son's high school
graduation. Her fiance found her collapsed face down on the floor
of their kitchen in front of their infant son, when minutes earlier
she was preparing breakfast for the family. The court documents
allege that there was a cup of hot coffee and an open package of
kratom made and sold by Kratom Distro next to Krystal's unconscious
body. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. The Palm Beach County Coroner says the cause of
death was "acute mitragynine intoxication." Mitragynine is the
scientific name for the plant used to make kratom. Kratom is sold
as a safe, all-natural dietary supplement but the DEA lists it as a
"drug and chemical of concern."
Kratom Products Failed to Warn Consumers
The wrongful death lawsuit filed by attorneys at mctlaw alleges
that Sean Michael Harder, and his
business are responsible for Krystal's death because they marketed
a dangerous product without warning consumers of what could go
wrong. The complaint also alleges that Grow LLC and Kratom Distro
marketed kratom as an all-natural medical cure-all (see exhibit B
of the complaint).
Holding the Kratom Industry Accountable
The attorneys at mctlaw are on the frontline of holding the Kratom
industry accountable for deaths from their products. Our team has
filed wrongful death lawsuits across the country, including
Oregon, Washington, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania. "Krystal
Talavera's family and all the other loved ones torn apart by
kratom deserve justice," says mctlaw attorney Tamara Willilams. "These lawsuits are an attempt
to hold the kratom industry accountable for selling a highly
dangerous drug while calling it a safe and natural herbal
remedy."
Attempts at Regulating Kratom
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued several import alerts
to the public concerning kratom. To date, kratom is not
FDA-approved. In 2016 the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
tried to classify kratom as a schedule 1 drug, similar to heroin,
ecstasy, and LSD. However, lobbyist groups like the American Kratom
Association have successfully kept kratom off the DEA drug list,
claiming it is safe and natural.
Widespread, Easy Access to Kratom
Kratom is incredibly easy to buy, which fuels a growing crisis. A
few states and cities have banned kratom completely, including
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington, D.C, Denver, CO, Sarasota, FL, and San Diego, CA. For the rest of the country,
Kratom is available to purchase with almost no restrictions. Kratom
is sold at gas stations, smoke shops, bars, and online. Some states
don't even have laws in place to prevent sales to minors.
ABOUT mctlaw:
Mctlaw is a national trial law firm with offices in Seattle, WA; Sarasota, FL; and Washington, D.C. For questions about kratom
litigation across the United
States, contact attorneys Michael
Cowgill at mcowgill@mctlaw.com, Tamara Williams at twilliams@mctlaw.com, Talis
Abolins at tabolins@mctlaw.com or call 888.952.5242. You can find
more information about kratom litigation
at https://www.mctlaw.com/medical-product-liability/kratom-lawsuits/
Media Contact
Gilda Dennis, mctlaw, 1 (888)
952-5242, gdennis@mctlaw.com
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SOURCE mctlaw