Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay $572 Million in Oklahoma Opioid Case

Johnson & Johnson must pay $572 million for contributing to an opioid-addiction crisis in Oklahoma, a judge there ruled Monday in a closely watched trial.

The verdict comes in the first case to go to trial of more than 2,000 brought by state and local municipalities nationwide seeking to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable for widespread opioid abuse.

In siding with the Oklahoma attorney general, state court judge Thad Balkman rejected Johnson & Johnson’s arguments that it lawfully marketed and sold its prescription painkillers and isn’t to blame for a public-health crisis in the state.

Johnson & Johnson said it would appeal the judgment.