BREAKING: In a landmark decision, an Oklahoma judge ordered pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million for its role in the state's opioid crisis
In a landmark decision, an Oklahoma judge on Monday ordered pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million for its role in the state's opioid crisis.
Opioid trial judge could deliver biggest judgment in US historyThe verdict issued by Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman marks the end of the first state trial attempting to hold a pharmaceutical company accountable for one of the worst health epidemics in history. In his ruling, Balkman said the opioid crisis has"ravaged" the state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma is one of dozens of states suing opioid drugmakers and this case is the first state case to reach trial.
Why are opioids so addictive? 00:55The misuse of and addiction to opioids -- including prescription painkillers, heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl -- has been called a public health emergency.It's estimated that every day more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids. Opioid overdoses accounted for more than 70,000 deaths in 2017 and an estimated 68% of those deaths involved an opioid.
As the United States continues to grapple with its opioid epidemic, the verdict in Oklahoma gets written in history as the first major decision in a trial seeking to hold drugmakers accountable for the epidemic's consequences: death, addiction and strapped resources.With the trial now over, eyes are turning from Oklahoma to other states seeking justice for the opioid crises ravaging their communities.
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