Oklahoma Judge Rules Johnson & Johnson Needs to Pay $572 Million in Lawsuit

Johnson & Johnson wasn’t too thrilled on Monday to find out that an Oklahoma judge has found the company and its subsidiaries guilty of helping to fuel the state’s opioid crisis.

The judge has ordered the company to pay $572 million, more than double what Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay in a settlement.

This was the first state opioid case to make it to trial. Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman stated ahead of the judgement, “The opioid crisis has ravaged the state of Oklahoma. It must be abated immediately.”

An attorney for the companies said they plan to appeal this ruling way up to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

According to Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter, opioid overdoses have killed 4,653 people in the state from 2007 to 2017. He believes the case could provide a “road map” for other states to follow.

“That’s the message to other states: We did it in Oklahoma. You can do it elsewhere,” Hunter said.
“Johnson & Johnson will finally be held accountable for thousands of deaths and addictions caused by their activities.”

Sabrina Strong, an attorney for Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries, remarked, “You can’t sue your way out of the opioid abuse crisis. Litigation is not the answer.”

Attorneys for the plaintiffs felt otherwise and called the judgment “a milestone amid the mounting evidence against the opioid pharmaceutical industry.”

“While public nuisance laws differ in every state, this decision is a critical step forward for the more than 2,000 cities, counties, and towns we represent in the consolidation of federal opioid cases,” they stated.

Disclaimer: We have no position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and have not been compensated for this article.