Judge awards $650 million in opioid lawsuit

A federal judge in Cleveland, Ohio, awarded $650 million in damages on Wednesday to Lake and Trumbull counties in a lawsuit against CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart for the way the pharmacies distributed opioids. A jury ruled in November that the companies had caused severe harm to the counties and created a public nuisance, and the judge heard testimony to determine damages in May. The pharmacies said they will appeal the decision.

How will the funds be used? The judge stipulated that Lake County receive $306 million and Trumbell County $344 million, both over 15 years. The money will be used to abate a continuing opioid crisis in the two counties, which are just outside of Cleveland. The judge also ordered the companies to immediately pay $87 million for the first two years of the abatement plan, but it’s unclear whether the payments must start during the appeals process.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Dunn’s report in Schooled on the overdose antidote that is now standard equipment in many public schools.