Opioids Epidemic 2025 Lawsuit

What Are Opioids and How They Kill People?

Opioids (or opiates) are narcotic medications prescribed to treat several forms of acute and chronic pain. They act by binding to specific brain receptors, providing fast relief to patients who need to cope with the pain caused by, to name a few, surgery, accidents, cancer and neuropathies. However, they’re associated with many serious side effects such as sleepiness, confusion, urinary retention and chronic constipation.

All prescription opioids share a huge potential for abuse, especially since people who use them quickly become tolerant and need to progressively increase the dosage. Once addicted to opiates, patient become desperate as missing a dose causes them to suffer from withdrawal, starting a vicious self-destruction cycle that eventually ends with fatal overdoses and respiratory depression.

Overprescribing and the Opioid Crisis

A huge amount of people make use of these drugs which are often prescribed even when they’re not needed. For example up to 70% of the nursing home residents and older patients suffer from chronic pain conditions. On top of that, many people illegally use narcotics for recreational purposes because they enjoy subjective sensation of intoxicating euphoria and relaxation known as “high.”

Despite their huge potential for abuse and unfavorable risk vs benefits profile, narcotic pain killers are frequently misused and overprescribed. According to many court claims, even apparently irreproachable doctors, pharmacists, and drug wholesalers are instead on the payroll of the most mischievous Big Pharma, who paid them kickbacks and lavish gifts to inappropriately prescribe these drugs.

The current opioid crisis is so large that it has been aptly defined as “epidemic”. To put things in perspective, in 2015 a total of 793 million doses of opioid medications were prescribed, meaning that every man, woman and child in the state could have received 68 pills each. States such where unemployment and poverty are higher among the population show the highest death rates as well.

---

States and Governmental Agencies Join the Opioid MDL

To halt the flow of prescription opioids, many state and city attorneys decided to sue the manufacturers and distributors of these drugs, including Allergan, Teva Pharmaceutical, Cardinal Health and Johnson & Johnson. According to their claims, the drug makers and their associates purportedly downplayed the risks and overstated the benefits of these medications caring only to inflate their profits. Many State Attorney Generals decided to protect their people by pursuing a legal action, including Delaware, New York, Ohio West Virginia and even Alaska.

The toll of this epidemic is devastating: countless families struggle to survive against overwhelming odds to pay for these drugs, youths and adolescents resorting to crime to buy these pills, and the number of overdose victims mounting up year by year. The governmental authorities want to hold those responsible for this monstrosity liable. In their lawsuits, they request pharmaceutical companies, distributors and even the medical experts who inappropriately prescribed the narcotics to take financial responsibility for the overwhelming costs that the public services had to face.

Current State of the Legal Proceedings (2025)

Many battles have been won already against those who contributed to the widespread opioid addiction. In 2009, after Senator Richard Blumenthal (former attorney general of Connecticut) filed a lawsuit, Purdue Pharma agreed to pay a $19.5 million settlement over allegations of unlawful marketing of OxyContin (oxycodone).

Latest updates:

April 11, 2025 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Payments from major settlements, including the Purdue Pharma and Johnson & Johnson agreements, are now being distributed to states and municipalities. Funds are being allocated to treatment, prevention, and recovery programs, with many local governments launching opioid abatement initiatives.

February 19, 2025 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Over $50 billion in nationwide opioid settlements are being administered, with new oversight committees formed in several states to manage disbursements. Some local governments have criticized delays in fund allocation, especially in rural areas hit hardest by the crisis.

January 5, 2025 Opioid Lawsuit Update: With most major defendants having settled, including pharmacy chains and drug distributors, the litigation has largely shifted to monitoring and compliance. New cases are rare, but enforcement of settlement terms remains active through the federal and state courts.

November 20, 2024 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Purdue Pharma’s reorganization plan, which includes the creation of a public benefit company, is moving forward following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow the bankruptcy shield for Sackler family members. Critics argue it limits full accountability, but states have accepted the payout terms.

September 14, 2024 Opioid Lawsuit Update: CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart have begun making the first payments in their multibillion-dollar settlements with states and local governments. These payments are earmarked for opioid abatement and public health response infrastructure.

July 31, 2024 Opioid Lawsuit Update: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to uphold the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy deal, allowing Sackler family members to retain immunity in exchange for contributing over $6 billion to opioid abatement funds. The ruling ends years of legal uncertainty.

May 2, 2024 Opioid Lawsuit Update: States began receiving their first round of payments from the $19 billion agreement with major pharmacy chains. Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan remains under review by the Supreme Court, with a decision expected by summer.

March 8, 2024 Opioid Lawsuit Update: The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on the legality of Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy deal. At issue is whether non-debtor releases that shield the Sackler family from civil suits are constitutional. A decision is expected before July.

January 12, 2024 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Thousands of local governments are preparing to receive opioid settlement funds from recent agreements with Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart. The funds are scheduled to be distributed over a 10-15 year period.

December 5, 2023 Opioid Lawsuit Update: A special master report confirmed that over $1 billion has already been distributed from the opioid settlement trust to localities across the country. States must use the funds for approved abatement strategies.

October 18, 2023 Opioid Lawsuit Update: The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy deal, temporarily halting implementation of the Sackler immunity provision. Arguments will be heard in the 2023–2024 term.

August 10, 2023 Opioid Lawsuit Update: The Department of Justice filed a petition urging the Supreme Court to block the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy agreement that shields the Sacklers from civil liability. The DOJ argues the deal violates constitutional limits on bankruptcy protections.

June 15, 2023 Opioid Lawsuit Update: A federal appeals court upheld Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy deal, allowing the Sacklers to pay over $6 billion in exchange for broad civil immunity. The DOJ is expected to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.

April 4, 2023 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Over 90% of local governments have agreed to nationwide settlements with CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Teva, and Allergan, totaling over $19 billion. Settlement disbursements are scheduled to begin in late 2023.

January 31, 2023 Opioid Lawsuit Update: The bankruptcy judge overseeing Purdue Pharma’s restructuring approved a revised plan that grants the Sackler family civil immunity. The plan still requires appellate approval, with objections expected.

December 19, 2022 Opioid Lawsuit Update: States began submitting opioid abatement plans to qualify for payments under the major distributor and manufacturer settlements. Monitoring and reporting requirements are also being finalized.

October 3, 2022 Opioid Lawsuit Update: New York and California announced that they will begin receiving funds from the opioid settlement agreements. Both states have launched public dashboards to track fund use.

July 29, 2022 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Teva Pharmaceuticals announced a $4.25 billion nationwide settlement with states over its role in the opioid crisis. The deal includes payments, product donations, and marketing restrictions.

May 3, 2022 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen finalized a $26 billion settlement with most U.S. states. Payments will be disbursed over the next 18 years for opioid mitigation.

March 1, 2022 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Over 45 states have opted into the national distributor settlement framework. Local governments are encouraged to join by the March 10 deadline to maximize funding eligibility.

January 26, 2022 Opioid Lawsuit Update: The bankruptcy court approved Purdue Pharma’s reorganization plan, setting the stage for the creation of a public trust that will manufacture opioids for public benefit. The Sacklers agreed to pay over $4.5 billion.

December 17, 2021 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan faced a major setback as a federal judge overturned the previously approved deal, ruling that bankruptcy law does not permit non-consensual third-party liability releases.

October 4, 2021 Opioid Lawsuit Update: The DOJ filed an appeal challenging the legality of Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement, arguing it unlawfully shields the Sackler family from accountability.

August 25, 2021 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Judge Robert Drain approved Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan, including the controversial Sackler family immunity clause. The plan will provide more than $10 billion in funding for opioid response programs.

July 21, 2021 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Litigation against major pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens is intensifying as trials begin in federal and state courts alleging failure to monitor and report suspicious prescriptions.

May 6, 2021 Opioid Lawsuit Update: A coalition of states agreed to a $4.5 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma, which includes turning the company into a public benefit corporation. The Sacklers agreed to contribute to the fund but continue to deny wrongdoing.

February 1, 2021 Opioid Lawsuit Update: State attorneys general filed objections to Purdue Pharma’s proposed bankruptcy plan, calling it insufficient and objecting to immunity for the Sacklers.

December 17, 2020 Opioid Lawsuit Update: McKinsey & Co agreed to a $573 million settlement for its role in helping opioid manufacturers maximize sales, marking the first major consulting firm held accountable.

October 21, 2020 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Purdue Pharma formally pled guilty to three federal criminal charges related to its role in the opioid crisis and agreed to pay over $8 billion in penalties.

August 14, 2020 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Purdue Pharma submitted a new reorganization plan that would settle thousands of opioid claims by forming a public trust and issuing payments over 10 years.

March 9, 2020 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Johnson & Johnson agreed to a $1 billion settlement with over 40 states to resolve claims stemming from its opioid marketing practices.

December 16, 2019 Opioid Lawsuit Update: Purdue Pharma reached a tentative global settlement valued at up to $12 billion with state and local governments. The Sackler family would contribute $3 billion and give up ownership of the company under the plan.

On October 21, 2019, a groundbreaking $260 million settlement has been reached in the ongoing Opioid litigation in the Northern District of Ohio. The deal was announced by Judge Dan A. Polster, and involves one of the largest manufacturers of opioids worldwide and the three major American drug distributors who provide nearly 90 percent of all the medications distributed to hospital, clinics, and pharmacies in the country. The three major drug distributors – Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – agreed to pay $215 million, while Teva, a generic drug manufacturer, agreed to pay $20 million in cash payouts and another $25 million in donations of addiction treatments.

January 2nd, 2019: Following the state, Union county is suing a myriad of pharmaceutical companies over opioid prescriptions. They filed a lawsuit on December 20th alleging that all of these companies played a critical role in profiting from the unlawful sales of opioid drugs.

On August 18, 2017, a jury found Insys Therapeutics guilty of illegally promoting their drug Subsys (fentanyl). The drug maker settled for $4.45 million after the State of Illinois brought the case in front of a court.

In 2016, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) found that Cardinal Health violated the Controlled Substances Act in Maryland, New York and Florida and forced it to pay $44 million. Just one year later, in 2017, the state of West Virginia filed a litigation accusing the wholesale distributor of flooding the country with painkillers, reaching a $20 million verdict shortly thereafter.

Illinois won a lawsuit against drug maker after of unlawfully promoting the medication Subsys. In 2017, Cardinal Health paid $20 million after the state of West Virginia filed a litigation claiming the wholesaler flooded the state with narcotics between 2007 and 2012. The same company already paid in 2016, when found the company.

Today, hundreds of individuals started filing their own opioids lawsuits, seeking compensation for all the damage they personally sustained after a family member became an addict or died of overdose. On December 5th, 2017, to speed up the proceedings, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) consolidated 155 of them in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation, MDL No. 2804. The Mass Tort will be overseen by Judge Dan Polster of the Northern District of Ohio in Cleveland.

On Monday, April 2, the DOJ itself entered the MDL as a friend of the court to add the federal government’s knowledge on the crisis to the litigation. The DOJ’s opinion and perspective will strengthen the position of many local governments and individual plaintiffs.