The issue focused on medical liability insurance coverage for attorneys who sue doctors and hospitals that patients die from illegal drugs. Lawsuits against medical providers were banned by federal law after lawsuits involving wrongful deaths caused by illegally prescribed opioids became common in the 1980s and 1990s. The lawsuit legislation didn't apply to lawyers suing doctors or hospitals.

Under federal law, courts don't look at criminal statutes when deciding whether medical liability insurance covers legal fees or litigation expenses. Lawyers suing doctors or hospitals must prove criminal statutes cover legal fees