The Johnson & Johnson company has been ordered to pay $572 million after a judge in Oklahoma ruled the corporation intentionally underemphasized the dangers of opioids while conversely trumpeting the drug's benefits. This marks the first time a drug manufacturer has been held liable in court. The state of Oklahoma initially sought a $17 billion judgment that would be used to repair the damage brought on by the opioid crisis.
Judge Thad Balkman of the Cleveland County District Court went at Johnson & Johnson's reputation as a family-friendly company and said they used it to leverage “false, misleading, and dangerous marketing campaigns” that had “caused exponentially increasing rates of addiction, overdose deaths."
Source: youtube.com
