West Virginia may pass on national opioid settlement, with likelihood of continued litigation By July 20, 2021 - 4:51 pm Attorney General Patrick Morrisey appears at a news conference in the Governor's Reception Room in April 2020. A $26 billion opioid settlement with three major prescription drug companies could be unveiled by attorneys general across the country, but West Virginia’s top legal officer may not support the deal. Governments that opt out would likely continue pursuing litigation on their own, looking to the possibility of a windfall based on the effects of the opioid epidemic rather than a settlement formula based heavily on population.