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

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.