Nevada to receive $33.7 million in opioid lawsuit settlements

(Katelynn Richardson) – Nevada will receive $33.7 million in settlements from opioid litigation, Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced.

The amount includes $32.2 million from a multistate settlement with Walmart and $1.5 million from a settlement with American Drug Stores. Nevada will also receive an additional $1.8 million from the finalized Mallinckrodt bankruptcy plan.

“Nevada continues to recover funds to address the opioid crisis in our state, but there is still much more to be done,” said Attorney General Ford in a Dec. 6 statement. “These recoveries will allow governments at all levels across the state to quickly fund programs needed to help those Nevadans affected by the opioid epidemic. My office will continue to work to hold every entity responsible for this crisis in Nevada accountable.”

In both lawsuits, Nevada argued that the companies’ failure to properly regulate opioid prescriptions violated the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Walmart agreed to a $3.1 billion nationwide settlement in November, with the money to be distributed among various local and state governments.

In a statement, Walmart said it believes the settlement is in the best interest “of all parties.”

“Walmart believes the settlement framework is in the best interest of all parties and will provide significant aid to communities across the country in the fight against the opioid crisis, with aid reaching state and local governments faster than any other nationwide opioid settlement to date, subject to satisfying all settlement requirements,” the company wrote.

Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick said the money would be used to alleviate the burdens placed on the community by opioids.

“The proceeds from these settlements will help address the emotional and economic burden that opioids have left on our residents and the community as a whole,” she said in a statement. “Opioids have destroyed an entire generation of young people, leaving behind damage that cannot be undone.”

Funds will boost the capacity of addiction treatment programs and benefit both short and long-term addiction services, Kirkpatrick continued.

Nevada’s Senate Bill 390, signed in early 2021 by Governor Steve Sisolak, outlines a plan for opioid litigation funds to be used for “evidence-based programs through the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.”

By

Katelynn Richardson | The Center Square