Ohio State Unifies To Fight Against Opioid Companies

Ohio State Unifies To Fight Against Opioid Companies

Introduction

Attorney General Dave Yost and Gov. Mike DeWine announced the "One Ohio" agreement on Wednesday, stating that the Cities and counties representing more than 85% of Ohio residents have planned to come together with the state to seek unified settlement over the opioid damages.

DeWine said that the agreement is the best move to unify the Ohioans against the drug companies who have led to the opioid crisis in the state, and the unification will put the state in a better position to fight for the settlement.

The settlement money will be spent to fight the damages caused due to opioid addiction. The settlement funds would be distributed evenly according to deaths per capita and other criteria, with 30% routed to local governments and 15% to Yost’s office. All the counties, villages, townships, cities of Ohio will be eligible for the settlement.

A nonprofit association of 25 board members, including four legislators, will receive the remaining 55% of the money. The money will be used to fight the opioid abuse and treatment of opioid-addicted individuals.

Outside lawyers hired by local governments will share an 11% cut of the settlement. State attorneys are also liable to receive some amount of the settlement.

Earlier, in a proposed settlement, Communities in West Virginia said that they would get $1.25 billion from the defendants, which would help end most of the litigation stemming from the opioid crisis in the state.

The companies are looking forward to settling about 3000 lawsuits nationwide. The deal is said to be one of its kind, which will make drug makers, distribution companies, and pharmacies pay for fuelling the opioids epidemic in the country, resulting in 4,30,000 deaths in the U.S. since 2000. 

Paul Farrell, a West Virginia-based lawyer who is one of the leaders in the lawsuits nationwide, announced that West Virginia wants to settle the deal separately as they might get excluded from the $18 billion national settlement, which includes three dominant distribution companies, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson. Farrell notified that even though the deal is confirmed, establishing a panel is necessary for further proceedings.

The settlement will include three major distributors along with Johnson & Johnson, and Teva. But it will not include the two key drug makers, Purdue Pharma and Mallinckrodt, as they both are trying to make a settlement in the bankruptcy court. 

Meanwhile, Clinton County commissioners will be mulling over until Friday to decide whether to drop their individual lawsuit against the opioid industry and join other local Ohio governments to group-negotiate a potential settlement. The Commissioners President Kerry R. Steed said the State of Ohio believes political jurisdiction will be stronger together than individually, and so the State is making a case to bundle together individual lawsuits around Ohio.