Legal shield for Purdue Pharma owners is at heart of appeals
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By GEOFF MULVIHILL
Associated Press
The end of the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case has left a bitter taste for those who wanted to see more accountability for members of the Sackler family. A federal judge this week gave preliminary approval to a plan that settles some 3,000 lawsuits against the maker of the painkiller OxyContin. But some state attorneys general and cities are promising appeals. They are upset that the Sackler family members who own Purdue will be protected from future liability over opioid abuses. The core question is whether it’s appropriate for members of a wealthy family that did not file for bankruptcy themselves to get such a broad legal protection.