J&J Gambles Oklahoma Opioid Trial Is Better Than Settlement; State Seeks $870m Per Year

In opening statements, Oklahoma suggests award could be 'just shy of $13bn' if it takes 20 years to fix the problem.

JNJ

Johnson & Johnson is betting that it will avoid having to pay a hefty award to the state of Oklahoma in choosing to go to trial rather than reaching a settlement in opioid litigation. If it wins a favorable ruling, it could also be in a better position to defend itself against claims in massive multidistrict litigation pending in Ohio.

In 28 May opening statements in the Oklahoma bench trial, attorneys for the state contended that J&J's Janssen Pharmaceuticals...

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