Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures $773 Million Opioid Settlement with Albertsons

AUSTIN, TX -- Attorney General Ken Paxton was part of a multistate coalition that secured a settlement with Albertsons that, once final, would require the grocery chain to pay more than $773 million nationally to address its role in the opioid crisis. Under the settlement, Texas and its Political Subdivisions are eligible to receive up to $57.8 million for opioid abatement in Texas.

To date, national investigations and litigation against the pharmaceutical industry over the opioid crisis have led to more than $50 billion in settlement. This settlement is the latest in a series of agreements Attorney General Paxton has negotiated to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable for worsening the national trend of overdoses and deaths from prescription opioids. To date, Attorney General Paxton has obtained over $3.3 billion in legal settlements with drug manufacturers and other entities for their roles in the national opioid epidemic. Funds from statewide opioid settlements are dedicated to opioid abatement and overseen by the Texas Opioid Council.

“This settlement is a major step forward in ensuring justice for the communities and families who have been devastated by the catastrophic opioid epidemic. My office has now obtained over $3.3 billion in legal settlements with Big Pharma companies for their role in the opioid crisis,” said Attorney General Paxton. “I will continue to go after Big Pharma or any other bad actor that jeopardizes the health of Texans.”

Affected Political Subdivisions in Texas are encouraged to sign on to the settlement to ensure that Texas citizens and entities may receive all benefits and opioid remediation funds to which they are entitled. Subdivisions will be receiving information from the National Opioid Settlement Administrator about signing on to the settlement and may visit the OAG’s website here for more information. Subdivisions represented by counsel should reach out to their counsel for more information.

Joining the settlement allows for Subdivisions to receive direct payments and grant money in the form of opioid abatement funding from the Texas Opioid Council.

To read the settlement, click here.