Dallas County sued a slew of drug companies and doctors this week over their alleged roles in the deadly opioid epidemic, joining dozens of other governments nationwide that have launched court battles.

The 59-page claim filed Monday in Dallas County court accuses at least 11 pharmaceutical companies — including Purdue Pharma, which makes the bestselling painkiller OxyContin — and three local doctors of knowingly pushing addictive drugs on patients while claiming they were safe. The three doctors have all been convicted of illegal "pill mill" over-prescription practices.

"While using opioids has taken an enormous toll on Dallas County and its residents, defendants have realized blockbuster profits," the lawsuit said. "In 2014 alone, opioids generated $11 billion in revenue for drug companies like defendants."

Painkiller abuse has led to tens of thousands of deaths nationwide, and experts say the trend has led to more people using heroin, an opioid that can be cheaper and easier to obtain than prescription drugs.

Every day, 91 Americans die on average from opioid overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Dallas County, at least 1,928 people have died of opioids or heroin overdoses since 2011, according to a Dallas Morning News review of autopsy records. Opioids include the codeine in some cough syrups, heroin and prescription drugs such as hydrocodone and oxycodone.

OxyContin pills, shown here at a Vermont pharmacy, are among the opioid drugs that a growing number of Americans are becoming addicted to, authorities say. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot) (Toby Talbot / AP)

County Judge Clay Jenkins said the goal of the lawsuit is to recoup some of the money that the county has had to pay for medical care and substance abuse treatment at Parkland Memorial Hospital, as well as responses by law enforcement and the jail. The suit is seeking actual and punitive damages, without specifying a number.

"When a large swath of your population becomes addicted to drugs, it's not just them — it's a loss of productivity, an increase in criminal activity, the jail cost associated with this — it just hits you across the board," Jenkins said. "Taxpayers feel all of that."

Drug companies denied the allegations in the lawsuit. Purdue said its products account for 2 percent of total opioid prescriptions. The company said it has developed opioid drugs with "abuse-deterrent properties" and partners with law enforcement to provide access to naloxone, a drug that can reverse an overdose.

"We are deeply troubled by the prescription and illicit opioid abuse crisis, and are dedicated to being part of the solution," said Bob Josephson, a spokesman for Purdue Pharma. "We vigorously deny these allegations and look forward to the opportunity to present our defense."

Janssen Pharmaceuticals called the allegations in the lawsuit unfounded and said its products account for less than 1 percent of total opioid prescriptions. The company vowed to work with governments to find solutions to the public health issue of drug abuse.

"Janssen has acted in the best interests of patients and physicians with regard to its opioid pain medicines, which are FDA-approved and carry FDA-mandated warnings about possible risks on every product label," said Sarah Freeman, a spokeswoman for Janssen. "Responsibly used opioid-based pain medicines give doctors and patients important choices to help manage the debilitating effects of chronic pain."

Three Dallas-area doctors are also named as defendants. Dr. Richard Andrews pleaded guilty to owning a "pill mill" at the McAllen Medical Clinic in Dallas. Dr. Theodore Okechuku is serving a 25-year sentence for operating a "pill mill" in Lake Highlands. And Dr. Nicolas Padron operated a cash-only clinic in Dallas and is now serving a seven-year sentence.

Dozens of local and state governments have filed lawsuits against the major opioid manufacturers. Many are still winding their way through court. Last year, West Virginia secured a multimillion-dollar settlement with two drug distributors, according to media reports.

Dallas County's lawsuit came about last year after law firms pursuing similar actions in other areas reached out, Jenkins said. The county interviewed several law firms and decided on three to represent it. They are working on a contingency basis, meaning they get paid only if the county wins a settlement or judgment. The law firms are entitled to 12.5 percent of the payout, according to the contract.

According to the lawsuit, the drug companies succeeded in spreading their "falsehoods" in the medical community by funding doctors, known as "key opinion leaders," and "Front Groups," which were "seemingly neutral and credible professional societies and patient advocacy groups."

"Defendants dramatically changed doctors' views regarding opioids through a well-funded deceptive marketing scheme," the lawsuit said. "Absent defendants' deceptive marketing scheme, these doctors would not have been able to over prescribe opioids or become embroiled in pill mills that negatively impacted residents of Dallas County."

Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price drew a comparison to the multibillion-dollar lawsuits against big tobacco companies in the 1990s.

"It's not too dissimilar from the tobacco case," Price said. "The companies knowingly impacted the public health of a community in a way that was, in my opinion, reckless. That's the issue on the table. This epidemic is real."

Staff researcher Erin Sood contributed research to this report.