Supreme Court Sackler immunity overview:
- Who: The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the Sackler family should be granted immunity as part of Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy.
- Why: The Sackler family agreed to pay up to $6 billion to the estate to gain immunity from further opioid litigation liability as part of the bankruptcy.
- Where: The Supreme Court heard the Sackler immunity proceeding in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the Sackler family that owned Purdue Pharma should gain immunity from further litigation as part of a bankruptcy settlement, Law360 reports.
The Sacklers agreed to pay up to $6 billion to the estate during the bankruptcy in exchange for immunity, the website reports.
However, a bankruptcy watchdog says such immunity might not be appropriate as it might prevent claims against the family even though the family was not the entity that filed the bankruptcy, according to Law360.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked why the court would go against long-standing precedent in the Sackler Purdue case in which the victims supported relieving the Sacklers’ liability after the payment by a 97% vote, Law360 reports.
“So in those narrow circumstances, bankruptcy courts for 30 years have been approving plans like this, and I guess I’m trying to figure out, with all that practice under the judiciary’s belt, why we would say it’s categorically inappropriate when the statutory term ‘appropriate’ is one that takes account usually of all the facts and circumstances,” Law360 reports Kavanaugh said during the Supreme Court proceeding.
Immunity allegedly common in bankruptcy proceeding but requires substantial majority
Immunity along with bankruptcy settlements is common but requires a substantial majority of the creditors to support those releases because they also apply to the creditors who do not give consent, Law360 reports.
Deputy Solicitor General Curtis E. Gannon said he believes the immunity granted to the Sacklers is far beyond what is appropriate and is basically a discharge of debts for the family without the family actually having to file for bankruptcy themselves, according to Law360.
In 2021, a bankruptcy judge said he would approve Purdue Pharma LP’s bankruptcy reorganization plan, which would protect Purdue and the Sackler family owners from current and future opioid class action lawsuits.
Have you been affected by opioids that came from Purdue Pharma? Let us know in the comments.
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20 thoughts onSupreme Court to review Sackler immunity in Purdue bankruptcy
Add me. My son became addicted to oxycontin and later overdosed in 2017.
Add me. My son became addicted to oxycontin and later overdosed.
please add me. son overdose in 2021
add me please
my brother john died in 2018 due to opioids ! and somone needs to pay
My son became addicted to opiods after a motorcycle accident. He was prescribed 100’s of OxyContin because of the pain from road rash. Walgreens would not give up the prescriptions. This happened in 2004
Why should they have immunity??? I lost my soulmate of 26+ years, my children lost their father, and our grandchildren lost their GiPi. They should have some repercussions for them, albeit financial!!
P.S He accidentally overdosed….three times on their “miracle drug.” Third time was the last :-(
I was fighting cancer at 22 and during my treatment was prescribed Oxycontin and I very quickly found myself physically dependent on it. I’m now 46 and have been struggling, to varying degrees, with opioids ever since.
yes
In 2001, my Grandma accidentally overdosed on a “new” medicine she was prescribed called Oxycontin. She was 74 yrs old. Her Son, my Father, passed away in 2011 with Fentanyl patches on his arm. He was 56.