Maryland Court Overturns $266M Baltimore Opioid Ruling
The Supreme Court of Maryland has overturned a $266 million judgment previously awarded to Baltimore City in its lawsuit against major pharmaceutical distributors over the impact of opioids, WMAR reports.
In a ruling issued Friday, the state’s highest court found that companies legally licensed and federally regulated to distribute controlled substances cannot be held broadly liable for the misuse or abuse of prescription drugs by individuals.
The decision stems from a case tied to both Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County, with justices warning that expanding liability could have far-reaching consequences.
“To recognize a general common law public right to be free from any potentially injurious harm associated with a lawfully licensed product being diverted, abused, or misused,” the court wrote, “would permit nuisance liability to be imposed on an endless list of manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.”
The ruling shields companies including McKesson Corp. and AmerisourceBergen from having to pay damages to the city.
However, other companies have already paid out significant settlements in similar cases, totaling more than $400 million. Those include Walgreens, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Allergan, CVS and Johnson & Johnson.
Baltimore officials have long argued that pharmaceutical companies played a major role in fueling the opioid crisis, accusing them of prioritizing profits over public health and contributing to widespread addiction in local communities.
In a statement following the ruling, city leaders pushed back strongly, saying they “vigorously disagree” with the decision and believe it limits the ability of local governments to hold corporations accountable.
Maryland Court Overturns $266M Baltimore Opioid Ruling was originally published on 92q.com
