Sangamon County Sues Opioid Makers

Sangamon County Sues Opioid Makers

Introduction

On February 27, Sangamon County filed a lawsuit against the opioid manufacturers and distributors due to the growing opioid crisis in Illinois, which resulted in 27 deaths in 2019. 

The Director of the Sangamon County Department of Public Health, Gail O'Neill, informed that the number of people affected due to the opioids in Illinois is on the rise, which is a matter of concern for the county. Adding further, he said that the main reason for the opioid crisis is the overprescribing of pills by the doctors.

Sangamon County State's Attorney Dan Wright said that filing a lawsuit is just one of the many fronts, which the people of Sangamon County are undertaking to fight against the opioid epidemic. The main focus of the case is to make the manufacturers and distributors realise their role in spreading the epidemic.

Johnson & Johnson, CVS, and Walgreens are some of the defendants in the lawsuit who play a major role in the growing opioid crisis.

Earlier in February, the jury awarded  $1.6 billion as a settlement for the thousands of lawsuits faced by Mallinckrodt, one of the largest opioid distributors over the opioid crisis. The issued order states that the company will pay 20% of the company’s outstanding shares to the plaintiffs. 47 states and territory attorneys approved the agreement but still, thousands of municipalities are yet to approve it. The settlement may also determine the fate of remaining claims against the different opioid manufacturers.