CHARLESTON, WV (WVDN) — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey issued a statement following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision reversing the approval of a multi-billion-dollar bankruptcy plan for Purdue Pharma. The Supreme Court held that the plan unlawfully released members of the Sackler family from civil liability for opioid-related claims.
“We have fought hard—and we’re still fighting—to bring a sense of healing to the state,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “With this decision, we will double down on our efforts to hold those who are accountable for the damage that’s been done to our State. We’ll be examining new ways to bring this case to closure.”
“And while litigation and settlements will not bring back the lives lost from the opioid epidemic, our hope is that the money garnered will provide much needed help to those affected the most.”
If the Supreme Court had allowed the plan to move forward, West Virginia was expected to receive tens of millions of dollars.
Previously, the Attorney General had personally argued in the bankruptcy court against the original formula, which wrongly allocated money largely on the basis of population—rather than severity of the crisis in our state. After the Attorney General’s argument, the plan was changed to better account for severity.
State and local governments across the U.S., including victims of the opioid epidemic, supported the plan to ensure compensation and funding are released for abatement and other recovery, prevention projects.
The case now goes back to the Second Circuit.
