Court Sides with Victims in Opioid Epidemic, Rules Against Sacklers’ Efforts to Evade Responsibility

The Sackler family will not be able to evade future claims related to the opioid crisis, as a 5-4 vote by the court ruled that Purdue’s bankruptcy does not protect them. Since the case began, victims of the opioid epidemic and recovery advocates have been divided on their desired outcome. Some saw the bankruptcy deal as a way to start funding urgently needed addiction services, while others believed it was unacceptable for the Sacklers to avoid responsibility for their actions.

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Aneri Pattani is a journalist for KFF Health News. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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