In a landmark settlement that stands to reshape Baltimore's fight against its devastating opioid woes, Mayor Brandon M. Scott declared that the city arrived at a whopping $152.5 million settlement with pharmaceutical distributor Cardinal Health, as part of its broader litigation against opioid companies, per a recent announcement on the City's official website. This hefty sum, which Cardinal Health has agreed to pay within the year, comes on the heels of favorable court rulings that permitted Baltimore's legal pursuits to keep barreling toward a trial date, set for September 16.
The tug-of-war Baltimore has been engaged in with opioid purveyors is not new, yet the recent settlement punctuates the city's commitment to holding companies accountable, furthermore, it adds remarkably to the city's war chest which now boasts $242.5 million in settlements following earlier legal victories over Allergan and CVS, valued at $45 million each.
Making no bones about the city's strategy and its outcomes, Mayor Scott stated, "We have said from the beginning that we are committed to do the right thing, not the popular thing or the easy thing - and these settlements are proof that our decision to reject the global settlements and carry on this fight was the right one," which was conveyed on the City's press release. Scott's administration, in alignment with the Baltimore City Solicitor Ebony Thompson, is adamant in advancing their spine of steel approach to downtown the pharmaceutical behemoths culpable for unleashing havoc.
Bill Carmody, leading the external legal team from Susman Godfrey, underscored the partnership with Baltimore's leadership, "We continue to be proud to partner with Mayor Scott and the City of Baltimore to fight this deadly epidemic and bring justice to everyone affected by it," according to the City's press release. The brushstroke of legal expertise painting this win includes Susman Godfrey attorneys and representatives from the Baltimore City Department of Law, banding together to script this chapter in Baltimore's opioid narrative.
