(Reuters) - OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP filed for bankruptcy protection after reaching a partial deal to resolve more than 2,600 lawsuits alleging it helped fuel the U.S. opioid crisis.
Supporters of Purdue’s plan to restructure under terms of a settlement the company values at more than $10 billion include 24 states and five U.S. territories, as well as lead lawyers for more than 2,000 cities, counties and other plaintiffs suing the company and, in some cases, its controlling Sackler family.
On the other side are two dozen states that remain opposed or uncommitted to the proposed settlement, setting the stage for contentious legal battles over who bears responsibility for a public health crisis that has claimed the lives of nearly 400,000 people between 1999 and 2017, according to the latest U.S. data.
Purdue and the Sacklers have denied allegations in lawsuits alleging they aggressively marketed addictive prescription painkillers while misleading doctors and patients about their abuse and overdose risks.
The following are among the key legal battles ahead, pitting states such as Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut against Purdue and the Sacklers.
PURDUE
*Purdue will soon ask U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain to halt all its lawsuits. The company is preparing for states to argue their lawsuits cannot be stopped because their legal actions were brought to enforce public health and safety laws - exempting them from the usual bankruptcy rules that would pause their complaints.
Purdue Chairman Steve Miller in an interview on Sunday night said continued litigation in bankruptcy would deplete the company’s assets. Purdue projected spending $263 million this year on legal and professional
