Smith County officials approve settlement in opioid litigation

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Tuesday Judge Nathaniel Moran and the Smith County Commissioners approved the first of what the judge says he hopes is a number of settlements, in the three-year battle of opioid litigation.

The settlement is part of a statewide effort. Judge Moran’s office worked with the state attorney general during the litigation.

Judge Moran said it “will hopefully bring in tens of millions of dollars for our region and then hundreds of thousands of dollars specially for Smith County. Not to mention the many other regions in the state of Texas that will benefit from monies from manufacturers and distributors that goes to specifically [toward] fighting the opioid epidemic and the effects of that epidemic.”

Judge Moran noted the help of local attorney Mark Walk and Jeffery Simon of Dallas for their work in getting settlement funds.