Twenty-seven West Virginia hospitals and ten affiliated Kentucky hospitals are suing "opioid manufacturers, distributors, and their co-conspirators."

"This blockbuster lawsuit opens a new front in the war against opioids, as it shifts the focus to West Virginia and the Appalachian region, the epicenter of the opioid epidemic," WVU Medicine officials stated in a press release Monday.

Officials say the lawsuit presents evidence of "criminal conspiracy" that has contributed to the opioid epidemic in West Virginia.

The hospitals that filed the suit are:

-West Virginia University Hospitals, Inc.

-Charleston Area Medical Center Health System, Inc.

-Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc.

-Bluefield Hospital Company, LLC

-City Hospital, Inc. (dba Berkeley Medical Center)

-Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital Corporation

-Charles Town General Hospital (dba Jefferson Medical Center)

-Davis Health System, Inc.

-Broaddus Hospital Association

-Davis Memorial Hospital

-Grafton City Hospital, Inc.

-Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, LLC

-Monongalia County General Hospital Company (dba Mon Health Medical Center)

-Monongalia Health System, Inc.

-Oak Hill Clinic Corp.

-Potomac Valley Hospital of W.Va., Inc.

-Preston Memorial Hospital Corporation

-Reynolds Memorial Hospital, Inc.

-St. Joseph’s Hospital of Buckhannon, Inc.

-Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital Company

-United Hospital Center, Inc.

“West Virginia hospitals are at the front-line of the opioid epidemic, and our ability to deliver care has been compromised because of the enormous amount of resources we have had to dedicate to treating those affected by it,” Ronald Pellegrino, M.D., chief operating officer at WVU Hospitals, said. “This is a big step toward asking that the responsible parties be held accountable for the role they’ve played in this crisis.”

Stay with 5 News for updates.