Whether these states can derail the proceedings remains to be seen.

Here are some important questions about what could happen next:

How would Chapter 11 bankruptcy affect the 2,600 opioid lawsuits pending against Purdue?

If the bankruptcy is approved, those cases would be resolved.

For now, as a bankruptcy judge considers Purdue’s petition, those cases are largely suspended.

The overwhelming majority of opioid cases against Purdue have been brought by cities, counties and tribes, and they are now consolidated before a federal judge in Ohio. Those plaintiffs have agreed to the settlement deal outlined in the bankruptcy filings. Attorneys general for 24 states and five United States territories have also said they support the deal.

But the settlement must be approved by the bankruptcy judge and Purdue’s creditors.

The fate of lawsuits brought by 24 other states and the District of Columbia that have not committed to the deal is still in question. Purdue is seeking a preliminary injunction to stop those cases.

In court filings, Purdue referred to “a kaleidoscope of piecemeal litigation.” In 2019 alone, it said, the company will have spent $263 million on legal costs. It argued that its plan will end costly litigation for all parties and bring relief to the plaintiffs as swiftly as possible.

Will the Purdue bankruptcy also shield the Sacklers from litigation?

That’s the mega-billion-dollar question. The answer is not clear.

Purdue will ask for a halt to lawsuits against so-called related parties — an obvious reference to individual Sacklers who have been sued in a growing number of cases because of their past roles with Purdue.