The judge overseeing hundreds of lawsuits against the opioid industry that have been consolidated in federal court said some trials may occur but that litigation is “not a substitute or replacement” for his preferred goal of a comprehensive settlement. In Thursday’s hearing, Polster seemed slightly peeved as he discussed the “litigation track” that the parties are preparing for next year even as they engage in settlement discussions. “It’s necessary to do it, and we’re doing it, but it’s not a substitute or replacement in any way” for settlement, the judge said. Once that work is done, the MDL judge is supposed to return lawsuits to the federal courts where they were filed. Polster seems to have taken his role even further, by pushing the parties to settle before serious litigation begins.

Source: Forbes May 10, 2018 15:45 UTC