Huge national opioids lawsuit moves forward
Summary and Analysis…
The seriousness that is often missed when statistics are rattled off on the lives lost to opioids, was brought to a succinct statement by Judge Dan Polster in his ruling of the Ohio suit against Purdue Pharma and others, when he said, “It is accurate to describe the opioid epidemic as a man-made plague, 20 years in the making. The pain, death, and heartache it has wrought cannot be overstated.”
His ruling will make it much easier for many others to sue the health care companies for the damages that they have cause with the opioid epidemic.
Excerpted from Axios
An Ohio district court judge’s procedural ruling in the national opioids lawsuit Wednesday has big implications — because it could open up opioid makers, drug distributors and others to face serious charges in court.
Why it matters: The plaintiffs — various cities, counties and states — are suing the health care companies for their role in the opioid epidemic. Yesterday’s ruling, in which the judge denied health care companies’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit, may increase the amount of money at stake, which would go toward the fallout from the epidemic.
