$460M For Kentucky In Opioid Litigation

$460M For Kentucky In Opioid Litigation

Introduction

Kentucky will receive $460 million as a settlement in opioid abuse litigation against opioid manufacturers like Johnson and Johnson (J&J) for the epidemic fueled by the drug-making companies.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron informed in a press release that the settlement amount would be helpful to treat people addicted to opioids and conduct programs that will control the opioid epidemic in the state.

As per the reports, so far, 180 people have died in the Louisville Metro area because of opioid overdose compared to 218 in the last year.

The Substance Use Disorder Strategy Coalition (SUDS) will hold a community panel to discuss the harm reduction of opioids in Shelbyville to deal with the epidemic. The program will discuss education about HIV and Hepatitis C testing, along with a needle exchange program to alert the individuals and communities about substance abuse.

A doctor of North Central Health District informed that substance abuse had been a matter of concern for many years in the state. These funds allocated for controlling substance abuse would be a positive thing amidst the current pandemic.

Officials of the Kentucky Coroners Association showed concern by stating that the number of people affected because of opioids is rising continuously. The president of the association even informed that an adjoining county recently reported three overdosing cases in a day which is a serious issue.

Earlier J&J and drug distributors Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen agreed on a deal to pay $26 billion to settle the nationwide opioid lawsuits. J&J even faces several talcum powder lawsuits from women across the country alleging that the company's baby powder causes ovarian cancer.

Earlier, McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc., and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation were ordered by New York Attorney General Letitia James to pay up to $1.1 billion to New York state to tackle the opioid epidemic.

The agreement will eliminate the three opioid distributors from the ongoing opioid trial, which is advancing in Suffolk County State Supreme Court. It is one of the largest settlements handled by the attorney general, James. The companies will start making the payments in two months and will continue to settle the amount for the next 17 years.

James issued a press release stating that the opioid epidemic has affected several communities throughout New York and across the nation for more than two decades. It has affected a large number of families by killing hundreds of thousands of individuals and addicting millions more.

A base payment of $1.1 billion is guaranteed in the settlement, and further amounts may be levied in case of future litigation. A part of the settlement amount will be used to combat the effects of the opioid crisis. The settlement will even cover compensation for the private practice attorneys as a lawyer's fee.

Attorney general James said that no amount of money could compensate the families affected because of the crisis and people addicted to opioids. She even said that the settlement amount would play a vital role in tackling the opioid crisis of New York.

James even directed to change the ways of collecting and analyzing data in the opioid litigation.

U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster is overlooking the National Prescription Opiate Litigation MDL No. 2804 (In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation), formed in October 2017.