Local lawsuits inch forward to seek damages for opioid abuse
EVERETT — A legal settlement with Oklahoma this week dealt OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma a major setback, but it may not change the course of local lawsuits over the drug’s impacts closer to home, officials said.
The company and the family that owns it agreed to pay Oklahoma $270 million related to the opioid crisis. The agreement ended an upcoming trial in that state’s court system.
Snohomish County, Everett and the Tulalip Tribes are pursuing lawsuits in federal court, along with hundreds of other jurisdictions throughout the country. A separate case filed by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is moving toward trial in King County Superior Court.
The particulars vary. They all allege that Purdue ignored the potential dangers of its product and encouraged doctors to prescribe more. The conduct, they claim, contributed to overdose deaths, crime rates and other ills.
Snohomish County filed a lawsuit earlier this year. In addition to Stamford, Connecticut-based Purdue, it names drug distributor McKesson Pharmaceutical, pharmacists and physicians.
“The county is actively monitoring and reviewing the developments in Oklahoma and we will determine how it affects our lawsuit filed against Purdue and others regarding the opioid impacts in Snohomish County,” said Jason Cummings, the county’s chief civil deputy prosecutor.
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