Okla. High Court Overturns $465 Million Opioid Verdict Against J&J

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Supreme Court has overturned a $465 million verdict issued against Johnson & Johnson in an opioid sales and marketing lawsuit, ruling that the state’s public nuisance law does not extend to the manufacturing, selling and marketing of products, including prescription opioids.

In a Nov. 9 opinion, the court majority explained that “public nuisance and product-related liability are two distinct causes of action, each with boundaries that are not intended to overlap,” adding that J&J had no control over the drugs once they were sold.

“The common law criminal and property-based limitations have shaped Oklahoma’s …