Judge in Massive Multi-District Opioid Litigation: Settling Will Do More for Epidemic

A federal judge presiding over more than 200 lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors has encouraged attorneys to settle rather than push the multi-district litigation to trial, saying he believes a settlement could have a more meaningful and immediate impact on the country’s drug epidemic. U.S. District Judge Dan A. Polster of Cleveland told the more than 100 attorneys gathered in his courtroom Tuesday that he thinks the judicial branch has a unique opportunity to tackle an issue that other branches of government have “punted,” and a settlement drafted within ...