PRACTICE AREA
Opioid Litigation
Keller Rohrback represents government entities who have sought to hold opioid manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers responsible for the devastating consequences of flooding the country with highly addictive and dangerous prescription opioids.
The country is in the throes of a national crisis—an opioid epidemic that is killing thousands of people every year. Opioid overdose deaths (which include prescription opioids as well as heroin) have risen steadily every year, from approximately 4,030 in 1999 to 15,597 in 2009 and to over 33,000 in 2015. In 2016, that toll climbed to 53,000. More than half of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid, like those manufactured by Defendants.
Opioid manufacturers, Purdue Pharma, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, among others, made billions of dollars pushing dangerous, highly addictive narcotics. State and local governments are saddled with the inordinate costs and burdens of the crisis created by the drugmakers’ greed and indifference.
The manufacturers aggressively marketed the pills to doctors and patients through a campaign of distortion and misinformation—claiming that opioids were safe and effective for the treatment of chronic pain and a wide range of other conditions, and that addiction was rare. None of this was true.
Obscured from the marketing was the fact that prescription opioids are not much different than heroin—indeed on a molecular level, they are virtually indistinguishable. They are synthesized from the same plant, have similar molecular structures, and bind to the same receptors in the human brain. It is no wonder then that there is a straight line between prescription opioid abuse and heroin addiction.
Keller Rohrback’s Opioid Marketing Litigation
Keller Rohrback L.L.P. represents multiple government entities in filed complaints against prescription opioid manufacturers and distributors, including Purdue Pharma, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and other entities, for the reckless promotion and distribution of opioids. The suits seek to hold the Defendants accountable for their reckless promotion and distribution of the use of potent opioids for chronic pain while deliberately downplaying the significant risks of the addiction and overdose. Our clients are on the front line of combating the opioid crisis and have suffered significant economic damages as a result. For more details on the pending actions, please choose from the below listed actions.
Opioid Settlements
In 2021, nationwide settlements with various defendants began. The first of these was with the “Big Three” opioids distributors, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen, and against opioids manufacturer Janssen/Johnson & Johnson, who will pay a combined $26 billion to states and local governments over eighteen years. There have also been settlements with manufacturers Teva and Allergan, and with pharmacy chains CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart, as well as other smaller defendants. More information on all of the settlements can be found on the National Opioids Settlement website.
Opioids manufacturer Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, had a proposed settlement plan in the bankruptcy court rejected by the Supreme Court in June 2024. A new proposed settlement plan is being negotiated.
List of Current Cases
- City of Tacoma, Washington – Filed 09/13/2017
- King County, Washington – Filed 01/05/2018
- Skagit County, Washington, City of Mount Vernon, City of Sedro-Woolley, City of Burlington, La Conner School District, and Mount Vernon School District – Filed 01/25/2018
- Pierce County, Washington – Filed 02/01/2018
- Arizona Municipal Risk Retention Pool – Filed 02/01/2018
- Thurston County, Washington – Filed 03/26/2018
- Clark County, Washington – Filed 03/27/2018
- Arizona School Alliance for Workers Compensation – Filed 04/18/2018
- City of Kent, Washington – Filed 04/27/2018
- Tulalip Tribes – Filed 04/27/2018
- Clallam County, Washington – Filed 05/08/2018
- Arizona Counties Insurance Pool – Filed 05/10/2018
- Nez Perce Tribe – Filed 05/18/2018
- Spokane County, Washington – Filed 06/21/2018
- Whatcom County, Washington – Filed 06/27/2018
- Cochise County, Arizona – Filed 06/29/2018
- Franklin County, Washington – Filed 07/11/2018
- City of Olympia, Washington – Filed 07/16/2018
- Humboldt County, California – Filed 07/18/2018
- Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation – Filed 07/19/2018
- Kitsap County, Washington – Filed 07/23/2018
- Island County, Washington – Filed 08/01/2018
- Walla Walla County, Washington – Filed 08/07/2018
- Whitman County, Washington – Filed 08/09/2018
- Kittitas County, Washington – Filed 08/09/2018
- Jefferson County, Washington – Filed 08/14/2018
- The Makah Indian Tribe – Filed 08/14/2018
- Northwest Arizona Employee Benefit Trust – Filed 08/16/2018
- City of Kingman, Arizona – Filed 08/16/2018
- City of Eureka, California – Filed 08/30/2018
- Chelan County, Washington – Filed 09/07/2018
- San Juan County, Washington – Filed 11/12/2018
- Maricopa County, Arizona – Filed 12/21/2018
- Anacortes and Sedro-Woolley School District, Washington – Filed 12/21/2018
- Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, New York – Filed 12/21/2018
- City of Thornton, Colorado – Filed 01/11/2019
- Jefferson County, Colorado – Filed 01/11/2019
- Adams County, Arapahoe County, City of Aurora, City of Black Hawk, Boulder County, City and County of Broomfield, City of Commerce City, City and County of Denver, Fremont County, Town of Hudson, Larimer County, City of Northglenn, Teller County, City of Westminster, and Tri-County Health Department, Colorado – Filed 01/11/2019
- Missoula County, Montana – Filed 01/22/2019
- Mohave County, Arizona – Filed 02/15/2019
- Santa Barbara County, California – Filed 02/15/2019
- City of Lakewood, Washington – Filed 03/06/2019
- Navajo County, Arizona – Filed 03/12/2019
- City of Brighton, Colorado – Filed 04/09/2019
- Yuma County, Arizona – Filed 06/07/2019
- City of Sheridan, Colorado – Filed 06/11/2019
- City of Federal Heights, Colorado – Filed 06/11/2019
- Ada County, Idaho – Filed 06/14/2019
- Mesa County, Colorado – Filed 09/27/2019
- City of Vancouver, Washington – Filed 10/1/2019
- Lincoln County, Washington – Filed 10/07/2019
- City of Bainbridge Island, Washington – Filed 10/08/2019
- City of Greeley, Colorado – Filed 10/09/2019
- City of Spokane, Washington – Filed 11/04/2019
- City of Kirkland, Washington – Filed 03/11/2020
- Hopi Tribe – Filed 06/19/2020
- Your Guide To The Massive (And Massively Complex) Opioid Litigation – 10/15/2019
- Clallam County to Join Opioid Lawsuit – 02/02/2018
- Tacoma Sues Opioid Manufacturers for ‘Harms They Have Inflicted on the Community’ – 09/13/2017
- A Brief, Blood-Boiling History of the Opioid Epidemic (Mother Jones)
- The Family That Built an Empire on Pain (The New Yorker)
- The Opioid Epidemic: A Crisis Years in the Making (New York Times, Oct. 26, 2017)
- Opioid history: From ‘Wonder Drug’ to Abuse Epidemic (CNN, Oct. 14, 2016)
Keller Rohrback is honored to represent government entities that have made the decision to hold opioid manufacturers accountable for the damage the manufacturers have caused. We are devoted to our clients and committed to helping them achieve justice.
What Are Opioids?
Opioids are commonly prescribed as pain relievers. The drugs work by binding to opioid receptors in the brain or body. Once they attach, they inhibit pain signals. Opioids include illegal drugs such as heroin and prescription medications such as OxyContin and Vicodin. Long-term use can lead to addiction and abuse. Prescription opioid abuse is often a gateway to heroin addiction. In fact, over 80 percent of new heroin addicts between 2008 and 2010 started with prescription opioids.
Common Opioids
Oxycodone (such as OxyContin, Roxicodone,
Percocet (a combo of oxycodone and acetaminophen))
Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lorcet, Norco)
Morphine (Avinza, Kadian)
Fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, and Sublimaze)
Methadone (Dolophine, Methadose)
Codeine (generic forms)
Tramadol (ConZip, Ultram)
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Exalgo)
Oxymorphone (Opana)
