New Hanover County Commissioner travels to Ohio to represent county’s opioid lawsuit

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - New Hanover County commissioner Woody White met with other government representatives Friday in Cleveland, Ohio to talk about lawsuits filed by across the country to take a stand against the parties responsible for contributing to the opioid epidemic.

New Hanover County was the first county in North Carolina to file a federal lawsuit against several drug manufacturers and distributors in December of 2017.

On Friday, a federal judge addressed a full courtroom and listened as people shared their accounts of how the crisis uniquely impacted their community. Over a hundred attorneys and the major defendant companies were there, according to White.

North Carolina’s attorney general was one of four state attorney generals that attended the meeting.

“Today I experienced one of the highest honors of my life, speaking in Cleveland, Ohio about my community and our wonderful people,” said White in a press release. "I do not know what will happen today or if a settlement will be reached, but I am hopeful that something good will come out of this entire effort and this awful chapter in American history will soon turn around and lives will be saved.”

Negotiations aimed at a major settlement of opioid lawsuits ended Friday without a deal.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein says local governments did not accept a deal that would have been with $48 billion in cash, treatment drugs and services.

According to the Associated press, talks can continue, but the first federal trial on the crisis is schedule to open Monday.

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