DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today’s nationally renowned law firm Baron & Budd, CP announced a combined $191.2 million recovery for the state of New Mexico following settlements over opioid-related litigation against four of the nation’s largest retail pharmacies, Albertsons, CVS, Kroger and Walmart. Baron & Budd is New Mexico’s state attorney in the litigation.
These drugstore chains were facing legal allegations of creating a public nuisance and violations of the Unfair Practices Act. According to the lawsuit, drugstore chains dispensed tens of millions of potentially harmful opioids in the state.
The opioid crisis has significantly impacted the state of New Mexico, resulting in major repercussions for public health, public safety, and harm to children and families. Over the past decade, New Mexico’s drug overdose rate has been one of the highest in the nation, with nearly every county experiencing a higher drug overdose death rate than the rest of the country. As a result, the State of New Mexico incurred substantial costs for medical care, drug treatment, rehabilitation, and law enforcement.
“When it comes to the opioid crisis, New Mexico is one of the hardest-hit states in the nation and we are thrilled that Albertsons, CVS, Kroger and Walmart have decided to resolve the litigation and pay compensation. money to the state stimulus fund.” said Marc Pifko, Baron & Budd Shareholder. “These settlements, along with nearly $200 million recovered from other defendants in the New Mexico opioid litigation, will help the state achieve its long-term goal of reducing the opioid epidemic. in the state.”
Under state and federal law, retail pharmacies are required to recognize flags indicating that a prescription may not have been written for a legitimate medical purpose and if red flags cannot be resolved, pharmacies must refuse to fill the prescription. Most retail pharmacies have also served as DEA-registered distributors at one time or another and as distributors were required to have systems in place to identify, report and stop shipping opioid orders. suspects presented to their warehouses. According to the state’s lawsuit, the defendants “were acutely aware of the oversupply of prescription opioids through extensive data and information that they developed and maintained as distributors and distributors.”
In addition to the work that led to these settlements, attorneys for Baron & Budd recently completed a seven-week trial regarding New Mexico’s claims against Walgreens. Experts tested at trial that it would take billions of dollars to fund New Mexico’s opioid reduction efforts. The parties to the case await the Court’s first instance decision.
Baron & Budd Opioid Litigation Team
Baron & Budd attorneys represent municipalities, states, cities, counties and tribal nations across the country in complex opioid-related litigation. The firm initiated the Multidistrict Opioid Litigation (MDL) and was part of the team that filed one of the first lawsuits against drug distributors. Our lawyers co-led the first AG lawsuit against pharmacies and helped communities hold pharmacies, distributors and manufacturers accountable for the opioid epidemic in the United States.
For more information visit, www.nationalopioidcrisis.com.
About Baron & Budd, CP
Baron & Budd, PC is one of the nation’s largest and most accomplished plaintiff law firms. With over 45 years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation across the United States. As a law firm proud to remain at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has conducted many significant cases for hundreds of entities and thousands of individuals. Since the firm’s inception in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved considerable national recognition for its cutting-edge litigation work, trying hundreds of cases to verdict and settling tens of thousands of cases in areas litigation as diverse and significant as dangerous and highly addictive pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, California wildfires and environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, cigarettes electronics, motor vehicles, federal whistleblower cases and other consumer fraud issues.
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