By Theresa Braine, New York Daily News
A judge in Oklahoma on Monday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay the state $572 million for its role in the opioid crisis.
In his ruling, Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman of Oklahoma held the pharmaceutical giant accountable for fomenting the massive public health crisis now devastating the state, as well as swaths of the U.S.
It was the first state trial to culminate in a verdict that holds a pharmaceutical company accountable for its contribution to a massive health crisis, according to CNN.
Dozens of states are suing opioid manufacturers, most notably Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family. Oklahoma settled with Purdue for $270 million and with Teva Pharmaceuticals for $85 million, CNN reported. The latter makes generic drugs.
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