Category Archives: Opioid Lawsuit
Assessing the Role of Pharmacies in Creating the Opioid Epidemic
Much of the attention in the opioid epidemic has focused on the companies who manufacture these drugs. But the distributors–i.e., pharmacies–are also an important part of this story. Businesses that distribute prescription opioids are required to follow strict Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations. Yet many commercial pharmacies ignored this responsibility in pursuit of greater… Read More »
Johnson & Johnson Settles Opioid Lawsuits with Two Ohio Cities
The first wave of opioid lawsuits are approaching trial. This has prompted a number of prominent opioid manufacturers to settle in the hopes of avoiding a potentially devastating jury verdict. As of October 2019, there are several thousand opioid cases pending as part of a multi-district litigation (MDL) proceeding before U.S. District Judge Dan… Read More »
Tennessee Court of Appeals Allows Major Opioid Lawsuit to Proceed
In 2017, a group of Tennessee district attorneys sued a number of opioid manufacturers under the Drug Dealer Liability Act (DDLA). This is a state law that authorizes a court to award civil damages against any “person who knowingly participates in the illegal drug market” to the detriment of the community. Individual victims, as… Read More »
Oklahoma Judge Orders Johnson & Johnson to Pay $572 Million for Role in Opioid Crisis
The nationwide opioid crisis continues to claim lives on a daily basis. We are only now seeing the first steps towards judicial accountability for the companies responsible for this epidemic. For instance, on August 26, a judge in Oklahoma held Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries had created a “public nuisance” through its marketing… Read More »
Tennessee Court of Appeals Allows Major Opioid Lawsuit to Proceed
In 2017, a group of Tennessee district attorneys sued a number of opioid manufacturers under the Drug Dealer Liability Act (DDLA). This is a state law that authorizes a court to award civil damages against any “person who knowingly participates in the illegal drug market” to the detriment of the community. Individual victims, as… Read More »
Nashville Judge Returns Opioid Lawsuit to State Court
The opioid epidemic is clearly a national problem. But does that automatically mean all opioid lawsuits must be heard in federal court? After all, many of these lawsuits raise questions of purely state law. And state courts often provide a better forum for plaintiffs to present their claims to a local jury. Still, federal… Read More »
Oklahoma AG Announces $270 Million Opioid Settlement with Purdue Pharma
The U.S. legal system continues to deal with the fallout of the opioid crisis. It seems like every day there is another lawsuit filed, either by an individual victim or a government agency seeking to recuperate the costs of treating thousands of victims. And while opioid producers and distributors continue to maintain they have… Read More »
Ohio Judge Allows Opioid Lawsuit Against Insys to Proceed
The continuing opioid crisis raises a number of complicated legal issues. Every state, including Tennessee, has strict product liability laws. But prescription drugs, which include many popular opioids, are also subject to federal regulation. So what happens when an victim seeks to hold opioid manufacturers responsible under state laws that may conflict with federal… Read More »
