STAT+: Oklahoma court overturns $465 million opioid verdict against Johnson & Johnson
The Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned a $465 million judgment against Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) in a lawsuit alleging the health care giant fueled the opioid crisis through deceptive marketing of painkillers and created a public nuisance.
In a 5-to-1 ruling, the court determined that the state’s public nuisance law does not extend to the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of prescription opioids and that a trial judge went too far when held the company liable two years ago. A public nuisance generally refers to an action that damages or interferes with a community.
