In Improved Bankruptcy Settlement Terms, People With Claims Against The Sacklers May Pursue Them, Individually; Sacklers Forfeit Additional Billions.

All this happened whilst I was largely off-grid, back in March 2025, in the high mountains -- and I frankly failed to get back to it. My apologies.

But in terms of impact on the US health care delivery-, and the Americans recovering from addiction- [non-]systems, this is a very important development. [And one Tangerine 2.0 wants to completely bury in a memory hole, since the Sacklers are, and were, vast MAGA donors -- both times around. Sheesh.]

But they will not get anything like the prior "hall pass", in bankruptcy now. Thank goodness -- and justice.

Here is the proof of that, allowing injured individuals and their families to continue to pursue the Sacklers, personally in the USDC in Manhattan (but not allowing any new class actions). . . and the press release from March 2025, which will -- at the close of the bankruptcy case -- create a new public benefit company, to try to find more money for the claimants -- including from the Sacklers' still-vast coffers, and it all does end the Sacklers' complete escape from all claims (unless individual Sacklers decide to file a chapter, and renounce all but $6,000 in their remaining net assets, personally -- like any other American seeking bankruptcy law protections). Excellent.

For its part, here is how NPR described the newly amended deal. [Nota Bene: Do generously support your local NPR affiliate, and public television as well, as Trump's rescission package has cut away funding sources -- that both networks had already effectively spent -- leaving many local outlets. . . broke, as of July 18, 2025.]

. . .Under the outlines of the deal, members of the Sackler family who currently own Purdue Pharma are expected to contribute roughly $6.5 billion.

According to the company, a major change from past settlement deals will mean people who wish to sue the Sacklers in civil court for alleged wrong-doing will not be forced to give up those lawsuits.

"Creditors can preserve their right to take legal action against the Sacklers if they do not opt in to the Sackler releases contained in the Plan," Purdue Pharma said in a statement. . . .

If finalized, this settlement will add to more than $50 billion in opioid pay-outs by corporations that profited from manufacture, distribution and retail of opioid painkillers at a time when overdoses and drug deaths were skyrocketing in the U.S. . . .

Now you know. And to be clear, this package is still wending its way through the approval of the Manhattan bankruptcy courts.

Moreover, though it is. . . galling, that the family will retain close to $7 billion (after already moving close to $15 billion, pre-bankruptcy, out of the company -- and into entities under the family's sole control). . . this may be the best possible settlement, for getting monies to individuals -- near term (i.e., before they die). . . given that Tangerine will oppose any higher numbers, by using DoJ resources, if needed. Damn. But so it goes.

नमस्ते