{"id":2026108,"date":"2023-09-08T16:35:04","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T20:35:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kroger-agrees-to-1-2-billion-settlement-over-nationwide-opioid-claims\/"},"modified":"2023-09-08T16:37:28","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T20:37:28","slug":"kroger-agrees-to-1-2-billion-settlement-over-nationwide-opioid-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kroger-agrees-to-1-2-billion-settlement-over-nationwide-opioid-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"Kroger settles for $1.2B in nationwide opioid case."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkroger-agrees-to-1-2-billion-settlement-over-nationwide-opioid-claims%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2026108&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>Kroger, the American \u200dsupermarket and\u200c pharmacy\u200b chain, has agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle the majority\u200c of \u2063claims in \u200da multi-party lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200d company announced\u200d on Sept. 8\u200d that $1.2\u200b billion would be paid out \u2063to states and local governments, with another $36 million to\u200b Native American communities, to \u2064fund for opioid treatment efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Several states, local governments,\u2064 and tribes\u2064 accused the company \u2064of \u200cfacilitating the U.S. opioid epidemic.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related\u2062 Stories<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/kroger-to-pay-68-million-to-settle-west-virginia-opioid-claims-5242781\">Kroger to Pay $68 Million to Settle West Virginia \u2064Opioid Claims<\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">5\/4\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/kroger-to-pay-68-million-to-settle-west-virginia-opioid-claims-5242781\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/krogers-upbeat-annual-profit-view-surprises-wall-street-5095523\">Kroger&#8217;s Upbeat Annual Profit View Surprises Wall Street<\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">3\/3\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/krogers-upbeat-annual-profit-view-surprises-wall-street-5095523\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Thousands of lawsuits have \u2062been filed against drug distributors, pharmacies, and wholesalers over the years \u200cfor\u200d their contribution to the opioid crisis.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    \u2063  \u2064 More than 564,000 people have died from \u200boverdoses involving opioids\u2064 through prescription \u200cand illicit sources \u2062between 1999 and 2020, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease\u200d Control.<br \/>\n \u2063  \u2063<\/p>\n<h2>Kroger Hopes to Settle Numerous Opioid-Related Lawsuits<\/h2>\n<p>    Thirty-three states, the District of Columbia, along with Indian tribes and municipalities, will each have an opportunity to opt-in to \u2063participate in the settlement.\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<p>The settlement would allow\u2064 for &#8220;full resolution&#8221; of\u2062 all claims \u200don behalf\u2064 of \u2064all \u200bparties if all conditions are satisfied, announced the \u200bretailer in a press statement.<\/p>\n<p>The payments will\u200d be made out\u200b in even installments over the next 11 years, \u200dbeginning in December.<\/p>\n<p>However, in a statement, Kroger\u200c said\u200d that \u200dthe settlement\u200c was not an\u200d admission of wrongdoing or liability.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Kroger\u2064 will continue \u200bto vigorously defend\u200b against any \u2064other\u2063 claims and lawsuits relating to opioids\u200c that\u2062 the\u2063 final \u200cagreement\u200c does \u200cnot resolve,&#8221; the company said in the release.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the supermarket chain also released its second<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pfizer-set-to-rake-in-15-billion-from-covid-19-vaccine-sales\/\" title=\"Pfizer Set To Rake In  Billion From COVID-19 Vaccine Sales\">-quarter earnings report<\/a> the same day.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    \u2064 \u2064  Kroger expects to take a $1.4 billion net loss \u200bfor the second\u200b quarter due to the \u200bsettlements and\u200b associated legal fees, &#8220;which will negatively impact earnings.&#8221;<br \/>\n   \u2063<\/p>\n<h2>Other Retailers Face Similar Claims<\/h2>\n<p>    \u2062  \u2063  Most\u2064 opioid \u200cdeaths\u2064 were caused \u2064by prescription drugs, but government authorities, doctors, and retailers have since\u2064 taken steps to make them harder to obtain.\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<p>Unfortunately, some \u2063of \u200cthose who\u2062 are severely addicted have switched to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kroger-agrees-to-1-2-billion-settlement-over-nationwide-opioid-claims\/\" title=\"Kroger settles for .2B in nationwide opioid case.\">stronger \u2063opioid-based\u200d substances<\/a>, which are more deadly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    Kroger is the latest major retailer\u2062 to announce\u2064 a nationwide settlement agreement \u200bover opioids, after <span id=\"RegularArticle-QuoteInBody-6\" class=\"QuoteInBody-quoteNameContainer\">Walgreens<\/span>, <span id=\"RegularArticle-QuoteInBody-7\" class=\"QuoteInBody-quoteNameContainer\">CVS,<\/span>, and <span id=\"RegularArticle-QuoteInBody-8\" class=\"QuoteInBody-quoteNameContainer\">Walmart<\/span> \u200d came a similar arrangement last fall.\n  <\/div>\n<p>Walmart has paid out $3.1 billion to settle claims, while\u200c CVS and Walgreens\u200b agreed to pay about $5 billion and $4.95 billion, respectively.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <span id=\"RegularArticle-QuoteInBody-19\" class=\"QuoteInBody-quoteNameContainer\">Rite Aid<\/span> \u200bis the only \u200bremaining major pharmacy chain\u200b to reach a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/walmart-agrees-to-3-1-billion-opioid-settlement-framework\/\" title=\"Walmart Agrees to .1 Billion Opioid Settlement Framework\">nationwide opioid settlement<\/a>, but \u2062it did agree to pay $30 \u200dmillion to West Virginia last fall.\n  <\/div>\n<p>The company is reportedly on the verge of filing for bankruptcy later this fall to help restructure its debt and halt\u200c ongoing opioid lawsuits, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n<p>Lawyers for the plaintiffs called Kroger&#8217;s decision an\u2062 important step toward holding accountable the\u2062 companies which played a role in the \u2062opioid epidemic.<\/p>\n<p>The settlement agreement &#8220;is the \u200bfirst involving one \u2062of the smaller, \u200cregional\u200c supermarkets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kroger, the US supermarket and pharmacy chain, will pay over $1 billion to resolve most claims in a multi-party lawsuit. On Sept. 8, the company stated that $1.2 billion would be allocated to states and local governments, while an additional $36 million would support opioid treatment in Native American communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":327,"featured_media":2026109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2026108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/327"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2026108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026108\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2026109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2026108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2026108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2026108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}