Northport Aims To Net $56K From Opioid Lawsuit Settlement

NORTHPORT, AL — After previously passing a decree to enter into a nationwide class action lawsuit against certain pharmaceutical manufacturers, the City of Northport will now aim to collect approximately $56,000 from a settlement reached by the Alabama Attorney General's Office.

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City Attorney Ron Davis explained that the lawsuit targeted drugmaker Endo International over the company's role in driving the opioid epidemic. The total amount of the settlement with the State of Alabama is approximately $10 million.

He then said the gross amount received by the city would total $56,250, with roughly $40,000 going into city coffers after court costs and attorneys fees are paid out.

"There are other cases pending, too," Davis pointed out, before saying the Council can always call a quick meeting in the future to vote on entering into settlement agreements.

The special called meeting was announced late last week, with Davis saying the quick turnaround came at the request of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who asked if the Council could take action by Monday.

The City of Tuscaloosa's City Council is set to vote Tuesday on a similar measure regarding the class action lawsuit settlement. As recently as this week, more than 200 municipalities in Alabama have joined the lawsuit.

In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 768 people died from opioid overdoses in Alabama.

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