THIS IS KOCO 5 NEWS AT 5:00. JESSICA: OKLAHOMA VERSUS OPIOID DISTRIBUTORS. A NEW LAWSUIT JUST FILED. I’M JESSICA SCHAMBACH. EVAN: I’M EVAN ONSTOT. OKLAHOMA’S ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNOUNCING THAT LAWSUIT TODAY. KOCO’S ABIGAIL OGLE JOINS US LIVE. JESSICA: ABBY, THE A.G. SAYS THESE COMPANIES’ ACTIONS LED TO THE DEATHS OF THOUSANDS OF OKLAHOMANS. ABIGAIL: ACTION OR INACTION, REALLY. ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE HUNT FILED THIS LAWSUIT IN CLEVELAND COUNTY AGAIN, JUST LIKE THE CASE AGAINST JOHNSON & JOHNSON. HUNTER SAID THESE THREE COMPANIES LISTED ON YOUR SCREEN FAILED TO REPORT SUSPICIOUSLY LARGE ORDERS OF HIGHLY ADDICTI MEDICATIONS. HE DID NOT HOLD BACK TODAY WHEN HE DISCUSSED THEIR ALLEGED ROLE IN THE ADDICTION CRISIS. >> THESE THREE COMPANIES WERE THE MAIN DISTRIBUTORS OF OPIOI IN THE UNITED STATES. BETWEEN 2006 AND 2012, THEY COLLECTIVELY PUSHED 34 BILLION OPIOID PILLS INTO THE U.S. THESE COMPANIES WERE HAPPY T MEET THAT DEMAND WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED. ABIGAIL: A.G. HUNTER SAYS DISTRIBUTORS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO STOP AND REPORT SUSPICIOUSLY LARGE SHIPMENTS, SAYING THESE COMPANIES DID NOT DO THAT. HUNTER ALSO SAID ALL THREE COMPANIES HAVE ALREADY PAID HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
AG: Oklahoma to refile separate cases against opioid distributors in state court
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Updated: 3:17 PM CST Feb 21, 2020
Attorney General Mike Hunter announced Friday that the state will dismiss its lawsuit against three of the nation’s largest opioid distributors in the federal court and will refile new lawsuits in state court against each company individually.The strategic move comes three weeks after McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen Corp. removed the state’s case from Cleveland County District Court to a federal court in Oklahoma City, according to the attorney general's office. Dismissing the charges takes the case out of federal court.In January, the state filed one lawsuit against all three companies. “We want to hold these three companies accountable to Oklahomans in an Oklahoma courtroom,” Hunter said. “It is regrettable, yet not surprising, that these companies are taking a page out of Johnson & Johnson’s failed playbook in an attempt to escape responsibility for their irresponsible and deadly business practices in our state. It is because of their misconduct we have lost thousands of lives, while hundreds of thousands continue to struggle with addiction. The team and I look forward to refiling these cases where they belong, in state court.”The state will file the petitions against each company in state court at a later date, according to the attorney general’s office.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Attorney General Mike Hunter announced Friday that the state will dismiss its lawsuit against three of the nation’s largest opioid distributors in the federal court and will refile new lawsuits in state court against each company individually.
The strategic move comes three weeks after McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen Corp. removed the state’s case from Cleveland County District Court to a federal court in Oklahoma City, according to the attorney general's office. Dismissing the charges takes the case out of federal court.
In January, the state filed one lawsuit against all three companies.
“We want to hold these three companies accountable to Oklahomans in an Oklahoma courtroom,” Hunter said. “It is regrettable, yet not surprising, that these companies are taking a page out of Johnson & Johnson’s failed playbook in an attempt to escape responsibility for their irresponsible and deadly business practices in our state. It is because of their misconduct we have lost thousands of lives, while hundreds of thousands continue to struggle with addiction. The team and I look forward to refiling these cases where they belong, in state court.”
The state will file the petitions against each company in state court at a later date, according to the attorney general’s office.
