Multiple major pharmaceutical distributors along with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Walgreens will avoid a high-profile trial after the distributors agreed to pay Ohio’s Cuyahoga and Summit counties $260 million in damages for their role in the area’s opioid epidemic. The settlement was announced just hours before the trial was set to begin.
In August 2019, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay the state of Oklahoma $572 million after it was ruled to be responsible for the state’s opioid crisis. In addition, the attorneys general for North Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Texas are leading negotiations on behalf of their states, and they say that the recent settlement is a “critical step” but that broader steps must be taken to give states, cities, and counties their share of money to battle the opioid crisis.
Opioid medications have been prescribed for years to help patients relieve pain, and many doctors were misled about their risks and addiction potential. Because of the misleading information pushed by pharmaceutical companies, many people have suffered serious, even fatal, overdoses, or have become addicted to the medications. The true cost of the opioid epidemic is incalculable, as many families have been affected by this potent class of drugs.
If you or someone you love was affected by the opioid crisis, the drug injury lawyers at Ferrer Poirot Feller Daniel want to help. We know what you’re going through, and it’s our goal to help you get maximum compensation. Contact us today for a free consultation.