- A federal judge on Monday ruled in favor of three major U.S. drug distributors in a landmark lawsuit that accused them of fueling the opioid crisis in Cabell County, West Virginia. The county and the city of Huntington argued that AmerisourceBergen Drug Co., Cardinal Health Inc., and McKesson Corp. created a “public nuisance” by distributing 81 million pills over eight years in their jurisdictions. Judge David Faber rejected the arguments, citing that West Virginia’s Supreme Court has only applied public nuisance law in the context of conduct that interferes with public property or resources. He said to extend the law to cover the marketing and sale of opioids “is inconsistent with the history and traditional notions of nuisance.” (Articles here and here)
July 5, 2022
Opioid/Substance Use Disorders