New OxyContin lawsuit reaches $7.4 billion to clear civil cases

The Associated Press is reporting a new settlement for lawsuits against the Sackler family, owners of the company Purdue Pharma that produces OxyContin, has reached $7.4 billion.

An initial settlement was rejected by the US Supreme Court last year because the Sacklers would be held harmless in civil death cases.

Both Tennessee and Virginia saw overdose deaths increase three fold once Oxys came on the market. Tennessee continues to rank near the top among the states with the highest drug overdose rates. A Vanderbilt University study showed three people die from drug overdose each day in Tennessee, surpassing the rate from auto accidents.

The Supreme Court will also have the final say in the approval of the suit.

(IMAGE: Pexels / Kaboompics.com)