Many people around the country are suing opioid companies for their role in the ongoing opioid crisis. And in some places, it’s creating a flurry of legal activity.
This is certainly true in Ohio. And now, in the midst of all this, some Ohio lawmakers are trying to restructure the process through which people sue opioid companies.
Specifically, Ohio is considering a proposal to consolidate all lawsuits into a single, state-wide suit. Proponents say it would streamline the process. Additionally, they say the bill would allow the state to allocate funds from the lawsuits more efficiently.
But opponents are worried the bill could turn into a power grab by the state, potentially taking settlement funds away from those who need it and sending it to the state instead.
Ohio Lawmakers Considering New Bill for Opioid Lawsuits
As reported by The Center Square, the new proposal is largely in response to the growing number of lawsuits pending in Ohio. Specifically, there are now more than 100 opioid-related lawsuits in the state.
If the bill passes, it would give the Ohio attorney general a couple key new powers. First, it would authorize the state attorney general to dismiss all individual cases. Then from there, the attorney general would have the ability to consolidate all individual cases into a single suit filed by the state of Ohio.
Further downstream, the state would also handle any settlement money. This means that money from the consolidated lawsuit would go directly to the state, which would then disburse funds from there.
The proposed piece of legislation was drafted and presented by three Republican lawmakers. So far, the proposal has been endorsed by Ohio Attorney