Troy Rafferty Played a Crucial Role in Securing Historic 26 Billion Opioid Settlement in 2021.

This settlement involved major pharmaceutical companies, including Johnson & Johnson and drug distributors like Amerisource Bergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson. The settlement aimed to resolve more than 3,000 lawsuits filed by states, counties, and local governments, alleging that these companies fueled the opioid crisis by aggressively marketing opioid painkillers and failing to prevent their widespread misuse.

Rafferty worked as part of the National Prescription Opiate Litigation Plaintiffs' Executive Committee. This team of lawyers, representing over 3,000 communities, spent years advocating for a comprehensive settlement that addressed the nationwide scope of the opioid epidemic. Their efforts ensured that the settlement funds would be directed to communities hardest hit by the crisis, to be used for opioid treatment, prevention, and education programs. The settlement required significant collaboration between state and local governments to ensure a uniform solution, avoiding piecemeal efforts that could have left some communities vulnerable.

This case was one of the largest settlements in U.S. history related to the pharmaceutical industry, and it marked a significant step in holding companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic while providing much-needed resources for affected communities.