WV Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said the state is opposed to a settlement agreement disclosed overnight Wednesday between 15 attorneys general and the bankrupt Purdue Pharma, but applauded their negotiations to increase the settlement amount
As of mid-April, West Virginia was set to receive just 1%, about $81 million, of the settlement amount, which was based on a state’s population, not the severity by which it has been hit by the crisis.
$81 MILLION.
The abatement plan Cabell County and Huntington have been leaning on throughout their trial against opioid distributors calls for $2.6 billion to cut the crisis in half in 15 years JUST in the county alone.
Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers were named in Cabell, Huntington’s 3rd amended complaint - which was under seal for MONTHS - against opioid firms, which detailed allegations of how they damaged the area, including marketing 32x the rate of nat. average. herald-dispatch.com/news/unsealed-…
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I’m back for day 37 of the #opioidtrial in Charleston, W.Va. Yesterday, the defense flew through 4 witnesses, who they used in an attempt to disprove testimony from plaintiff witnesses. Get caught up here: herald-dispatch.com/news/defense-w…
I think today’s edition of the @heralddispatch is really representative of how the opioid epidemic is still ongoing. Three of our four main stories are opioid related.
The sides have agreed to hold closing arguments July 27 and 28 and will receive six hours each (the three defendants receiving two hours each).
I’m back for day #36 of the opioid trial in Charleston, W.Va. Yesterday’s testimony showed politics has played a role in the prescribing of opioids in the state for decades. Catch up here:
Today we will continue hearing testimony about insurance, which did not make the cut for yesterday’s story because of story length restrictions. Will get the fully testimony in today’s story later.
At the questioning of Anthony Majestro, Economist James Hughes, who has bene testifying about insurance in the state, said he did not review specific data regarding the amount of pills being shipped into Cabell County or documents related to the opioid crisis.
I’m back for day 35 of the #opioidtrial in Charleston. The defense is continuing to present its witnesses today. Get caught up on what happened last week here: herald-dispatch.com/news/dismissal…
Deer runs one of the largest pain clinics in the state, The Spine & Nerve Centers, which has about 4,000 patients at any given time. He has been on WV task forces, such as the WV Controlled Substances Monitoring Program Committee, which was established in 2012.
I’m back for day #34 of the #opioidtrial in Charleston. After resting its months-long case Huntington and Cabell County faced their biggest obstacle Thursday — satisfying an inquisitive judge. herald-dispatch.com/news/cabell-co…
McKesson attorney Paul Schmidt calls to the stand Dr. Christopher Gilligan, Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
He was asked how pain impacts a patient.
“Not only do they have suffering from the pain, but we have their life being taken away from them by the pain,” he said.
I’m back for day 33 of the #opioidtrial in Charleston, W.Va. Yesterday Hunt. Mayor Steve Williams, the final plaintiff witness, testified how the city went from failing to arrest its way out of the crisis to being a “recovery capital”. herald-dispatch.com/news/huntingto…
Today attorneys on either side will argue motions and take some housekeeping measures. I will do my best to interpret the legalese, but expect it will be complex. The first defense witness is expected to take the stand tomorrow.
Can I get one of those @KimKardashian law degrees at the end of this trial?
I’m back for day 32 of the #opioidtrial in Charleston, W.va. Yesterday a forensic economist testified Tuesday that a 15-year plan to abate the opioid crisis in Cabell County and the city of Huntington would cost $2.54 billion. herald-dispatch.com/news/opioid-ab…