The opioid epidemic, a crisis that has claimed over half a million lives and imposed an economic burden exceeding $1.3 trillion annually, has become a focal point of legal scrutiny, particularly in the bankruptcy context as prior proponents of opioids petition for relief.

As national and international litigation claims continue to mount, key players like Purdue Pharma LP find themselves at the epicenter of debates surrounding liability and the ethics of employing nonconsensual third-party releases in bankruptcy.

This article examines the intricate legal issues, from the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of Purdue Pharma’s controversial settlement to the broader implications of third-party releases that shield non-debtors from liability.