Attorney General of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro is Suing Sackler Family
Josh Shapiro, the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, is suing Purdue Pharma’s owner, the Sackler family. In a statement, Shapiro said that the Sackler family only cares about keeping the dirty money it received by filling up the state with OxyContin. He also said the family shows no remorse and is unwilling to take responsibility for its actions, which resulted in an epidemic that claims 12 Pennsylvanians every day. Shapiro leads a group of other states’ attorneys general investigating and negotiating with opioid makers, which includes Perdue Pharma.
This is not the first time Shapiro’s office has sued Purdue or the Sacklers. His office sued Purdue in May, alleging that the company deliberately swamped doctors’ offices with sales representatives who made false claims about OxyContin’s safety and effectiveness. After the announcement on Wednesday that the Sacklers and 2,000 other opioid manufacturing plaintiffs are settling their case, Shapiro called this a slap in the face to anyone that has buried family or friends because of this crisis. Shapiro also wants to hold certain members of the Sackler family accountable because certain family members directed, controlled, and participated in deceptive practices. The majority of the opioid lawsuits are taking place in Cleveland, Ohio.
A spokeswoman for the Sackler family released a statement saying that the family is working towards helping patients, families, and communities. She also said this was a more effective way to help fix the crisis, instead of creating endless lawsuits. This is different from what Shapiro thinks the Sackler family has done. He says that the Sackler family preyed on senior citizens, veterans, and substance use disorder sufferers and is trying to avoid responsibility. He wants the family to finally be held accountable for its part in the opioid epidemic and the pain it has caused Pennsylvanians.
Recently, the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County sued eight companies in May 2018 for their involvement in the opioid crisis. The lawsuit, according to them, was filed to help support the city and its residents after the companies created a massive crisis in Pennsylvania.
After the settlement is finalized, Purdue Pharma would go into bankruptcy and the Sacklers would have to pay $3 billion to the plaintiffs. They would also have to sell Mundipharma to raise another $1.5 billion. Finally, future profits from the sale of OxyContin would go to the plaintiffs. This could bring the settlement value to $12 billion once everything is finalized.
Drug manufacturers put profit over people’s health and safety, leading to the opioid crisis. If you have been impacted by drug companies’ reckless actions, you may be entitled to compensation. Fill out our contact form or call us at 412-471-3980 to learn more.
