Bartlit Beck Secures Post-Trial Directed Verdict for Walgreens in Florida Opioid Litigation

Lead and trial counsel for Walgreens in a 50-day jury trial in Broward County Circuit Court in which 26 Florida hospitals sought more than $1.5 billion in damages before trebling, alleging that Walgreens' dispensing and distribution of prescription opioid medications contributed to the opioid crisis. After 14 days of jury deliberations, the court declared a mistrial. The court subsequently granted defendants' post-trial motion for a directed verdict, entering final judgment in favor of the defendants in May 2026, finding that the plaintiff hospitals' alleged injuries failed to satisfy Florida RICO's direct causation requirement.