Potential Opioid Settlement Compensation
- Drug Rehabilitation Costs: The expenses related to drug rehabilitation may be reimbursed if your opioid lawsuit is successful. The cost of opioid rehabilitation varies, but some families may have spent thousands of dollars on rehabilitation that could be recouped in by an opioid lawsuit.
- Lost Wages: If you lost your job because of opioid addiction or missed time from work because of an opioid injury, you may be entitled to compensation for lost wages. Opioid addiction goes hand-in-hand with unemployment.
- Funeral Expenses: If your family lost a loved from an opioid overdose, you may be able to recover funeral expenses.
- Medical Expenses: Victims of opioid addiction may be able to recover various medical expenses. You could recover costs related to overdoses, hospitalizations, and potentially even the costs of the opioids themselves.
- Pain and Suffering: This compensation can take many forms. You may receive damages for any resulting pain and suffering, disability or physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, inconvenience or loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life.
- Punitive Damages: If the drug manufacturer’s behavior is found to be particularly harmful, the court may award punitive damages in the opioid lawsuit. Every state has different laws that pertain to punitive damages.
Opioid Lawsuit Eligibility
If you lost a loved one from an opioid overdose: The opioid lawsuit can be bought by family members who lost a loved one from an opioid overdose, depending upon the State where your loved one passed away, if there was a will, and the individual named as the personal representative. The numbers of families that have lost a loved one from an opioid overdose is overwhelming. While the opioid lawsuit cannot bring back your loved one, it can hold the drug manufacturers liable for their actions. Our nationwide opioid injury lawyers can help families affected by the opioid epidemic.
If you were hospitalized from an opioid overdose: The opioid lawsuit may also include victims who were hospitalized for opioid overdoses. Those lawsuits may be able to recover the medical bills related to the opioid overdose event. Opioid overdose hospitalizations can be very expensive and some patients may require prolonged medical care.
Opioid Multidistrict Litigation
Your claim could be included in a multidistrict ligation (MDL). These claims are best for individuals who have been harmed in unique ways by this dangerous pharmaceutical drug. Suits in the opioid multidistrict ligation have their cases decided independently of each other. That means they will also receive compensation based solely upon their injuries.
Experts expect that this litigation could bring a larger settlement than the $200 billion tobacco settlement in 1998.
In March 2018, U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland in an order said the parties at a hearing should discuss the status of settlement talks. Judge Polster said this would include motions and bellwether trials and is very motivated to help the opioid crisis this year. In December, a judicial panel gathered all the prescription opioid cases filed in federal court across the country and nominated Judge Polster to hear them. Ohio has been hit especially hard with opioid use and is centrally located. Plus, Judge Polster has MDL experience since he mediated settlements in over 700 cases involving medical contrast dye.
Litigation Update
On November 2019, Judge Polster heard arguments over future bellwether trials. The original $48B four-state settlement was not approved. The hearing said the settlement was not sufficient.
The next step will moving forward with bellwether cases, which will not be heard until Fall 2020.
This case involves the County and City of San Francisco; City of Chicago; Cabell County, West Virginia; Monroe County, Michigan; Broward County, Florida and the Cherokee Nation Native American Tribe.
Georgia and Alabama Litigation
The other state litigations include Georgia and Alabama. Big Pharma tried to dismiss the case, but the judge dismissed their claim. The case will move forward with a July 2020 trial date.
The state of Georgia also did not have their case dismissed and will have a January 2022 trial date.
Other Venues
Besides the MDL in Cleveland, there are other venues across the country currently trying Opioid overdose cases. These include California, New Jersey, Missouri, and New York.
