There have now been over 1,300 opioid lawsuits filed by states, cities, countries, Native American tribes and labor unions throughout our country. The New York Times said resolving these lawsuits could be the most daunting legal challenge our nation has faced. Last December all the opioid cases filed in federal court across the country were consolidated into what’s called multidistrict litigation or an MDL, to be presided over by a single judge in Cleveland, Ohio and his name is Judge Dan Polster.
Today’s podcast features excerpts of community forum where Judge Polster spoke at the Siegal Lifelong Learning Program. He discusses the challenges of assigning responsibility and calculating damages. If cases are not settled under the MDL, they go back to their districts of origin. If a settlement is reached, the money goes towards funding recovery and to help communities offset the millions of dollars expended fighting the opioid crisis across our country. Tune in to this podcast to learn how settlement in these historic proceedings could fund America’s recovery for years to come.