Opioid Maker Admits Defeat
Last Month, the Sackler family, the leaders behind the drug company Purdue Pharma, agreed to an $8.3 billion dollar settlement with the US government. Purdue Pharma, best known for the drug OxyContin, abused its power and lied about the drug's risk of addiction. For years, they even played both sides of the addiction game, telling doctors and patients the drug was safe while working to build out addiction treatment centers to help treat people for the addictions their own drugs caused.
For several years, the law branches of both States and the Federal government have been engaged in lawsuits over the Sacklers role in the Opioid Epidemic. Not only is Purdue Pharma shutting down and paying large fines, the Sackler family itself are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars for their role in directing the dishonest business practices surrounding the sale and marketing of OxyContin.
Although this settlement marks a major milestone in the government's legal response to the Opioid Epidemic, it is not the end. Several states are still unsatisfied with the punishments Purdue Pharma and its controlling family have received. There's also hints that the Sacklers have hidden much of their opioid profits in order to protect their wealth from lawsuits. They have even gone so far as to ask judges to exclude them from the thousands of smaller lawsuits that have built up during the decades their companies mismanaged the opioid epidemic.
The Justice Department, for its part, has pointed out that this settlement still leaves open the possibility for more litigation and more punishments in the future.
Thomson Reuters Recognizes Martin Walker Co-Founders Among Texas Super Lawyers
Martin Walker PC is proud to announce that trial lawyers and firm co-founders Reid Martin and John F. (Jack) Walker III have earned recognition among this year’s Texas Super Lawyers. Both have been selected for their work on behalf of plaintiffs in the area of medical malpractice.
“Jack understands how stressful and often how scary a client’s situation can be,” said Mr. Martin. “He wants our clients to know that they’ve got someone in their corner, and that’s evident in the way he fights for them in the courtroom. You couldn’t ask for a better advocate.”
While the number of Texas attorneys who continue to accept medical malpractice cases is shrinking by the year, Martin Walker PC stands ready to fight for those it represents. Each attorney is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
“For the sorts of cases we take on, I couldn’t ask for a better partner than Reid,” said Mr. Walker. “To be able to sit with him, talk through a case, and find solutions that often aren’t obvious right at the start, is something I’m very thankful for. Not a day goes by that I’m not impressed by his work ethic and commitment.”
Each year, Thomson Reuters recognizes less than five percent of attorneys in the state for its list of Texas Super Lawyers. Those selected are nominated by peers and colleagues and then vetted through independent research by the Thomson Reuters’ editorial staff before a final review by a blue-ribbon panel. A final list of honorees is published in the November issue of Texas Monthly and the Texas edition of Texas Super Lawyers magazines. The full list is available online at http://www.superlawyers.com.
This is far from the first time Martin Walker PC has been recognized for its skill and leadership. In 2020, the firm was inducted into the Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame for a $43.32 million medical malpractice verdict, which was the largest in Texas in 2018 and the largest overall in the past five years. Earlier this year, Mr. Martin and Mr. Walker were each recognized in the 2021 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
Martin Walker Law Firm Inducted into National Law Journal Verdicts Hall of Fame
Martin Walker has earned recognition in The National Law Journal’s Verdicts Hall of Fame for a record $43 million medical malpractice verdict won in 2018 against East Texas Medical Center.
Firm co-founders Jack Walker and Reid Martin, together with trial attorney Marisa Schouten, represented a man who had to be placed in a medically induced coma for more than a month after a botched procedure by a doctor who was already on probation with the Texas Medical Board. The plaintiff had sought help at the Tyler hospital for bile duct stones but was misdiagnosed by a gastroenterologist who should not have been allowed access to the hospital at the time of the procedure. Weeks after he was placed in a coma, a second doctor rejected the original diagnosis and successfully completed the operation.
“Thank you to The National Law Journal for recognizing all the hard work that went into this case,” said firm co-founder Reid Martin. “Those affected by medical malpractice stand to lose so much, and everyone at Martin Walker is absolutely committed to fighting for them and making sure they get the justice they deserve.”
As compensation for past and future pain and suffering, as well as medical care and lost income, the plaintiff was awarded approximately $18.5 million, as well as an additional $25 million in punitive damages meant to cover the hospital’s gross negligence. This amount represented the largest medical malpractice verdict in Texas for all of 2018.
Those inducted in the Verdicts Hall of Fame were selected from five different practice area categories. This year’s honorees represent the firms with the highest verdicts from 2015-2019 and are recognized in the October 2020 issue of The National Law Journal.
The complete listing of the National Law Journal Verdicts Hall of Fame can be found here.