Kroger to pay $1.2 billion to settle opioid lawsuits
- Kroger Co. would pay up to $1.4 billion over 11 years
- Thirty-three states would be eligible for money in the deal
- More than 80,000 people die each year due to opioid overdoses
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CINCINNATI (NewsNation) — The Kroger chain of grocery stores has agreed to pay up to $1.4 billion to settle opioid lawsuits, according to multiple reports.
Under the deal announced Friday, Kroger Co. would pay up to $1.4 billion over 11 years. The amount includes up to $1.2 billion for state and local governments where it operates, $36 million to Native American tribes and about $177 million to cover lawyers’ fees and costs.
Thirty-three states would be eligible for money in the deal, according to The Associated Press. The company previously announced settlements with New Mexico and West Virginia.
The Washington Post reports that the money adds to the more than $50 billion in settlements related to the opioid industry.
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments later this year on whether one of the larger settlements, involving OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, is legal.
Most of the settlement money is to be used to address an overdose epidemic linked to more than 80,000 deaths a year in the U.S. in recent years, with most of the latest deaths connected to illicit synthetic drugs such as fentanyl rather than prescription painkillers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
