Washington state will receive up to $105.6 million from national settlement with Purdue Pharma

SEATTLE – Attorney General Nick Brown today announced that all 55 attorneys general, representing all eligible states and U.S. territories, agreed to sign on to a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family.

This settlement in principle is the nation’s largest to date with individuals responsible for the opioid crisis. The Attorney General’s Office estimates Washington state and its local governments will receive as much as $105.6 million from this settlement over the next 15 years.

“The Attorney General’s Office recovery of more than one billion dollars has empowered state, local, and tribal governments to combat the opioid crisis,” Brown said. “Today’s agreement means even more money will flow to fund treatment centers, support first responders, and improve Washingtonians’ lives. We must do more to help communities on the frontlines of the opioid crisis and today’s settlement will do exactly that.”

Under the Sacklers’ ownership, Purdue made and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, fueling the largest drug crisis in the nation’s history. The settlement ends the Sacklers’ control of Purdue and their ability to sell opioids in the U.S. Communities across the state will directly receive funds over the next 15 years to support addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery.

The 55 attorneys general represent all of the state states and U.S. territories eligible to be part of the resolution and it will resolve the litigation against Purdue and Sacklers for their role in the creating and worsening the opioid crisis across the country. With the conclusion of the state sign-on period, local governments across the country will be asked to join the settlement contingent on bankruptcy court proceedings.  

Most of the settlement funds will be distributed in the first three years. In Washington state, the funds must be split evenly between state and local governments and must be used to fund programs that combat the opioid epidemic.

Like prior opioid settlements, the settlement with Purdue and the Sacklers will involve resolution of legal claims by state and local governments. The local government sign-on and voting solicitation process for this settlement moving forward will be contingent on bankruptcy court approval. A hearing is scheduled on that matter in the coming days.

Including this new settlement, Washington state has recovered nearly $1.29 billion from companies that helped fuel the opioid epidemic.

Washington state is joined in securing this settlement in principle by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, Wyoming.

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Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties.

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