The past year saw several attempts to apply new applications of the public nuisance doctrine to the opioid crisis. While in the past, public nuisance claims typically sought recovery for damages in connection with land use in...more
On November 9, 2021, the Oklahoma Supreme Court set aside a $465 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in State ex rel. Hunter v. Johnson & Johnson, 2021 OK 54. In 2017, the State of Oklahoma sued three opioid...more
On November 9, 2021, the Oklahoma Supreme Court in State ex rel. Hunter v. Johnson & Johnson, No. 118474, 2021 WL 5191372 (Okla., Nov. 9, 2021), overturned a $465 million verdict against opioid manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson...more
Just days after U.S. corporate titan General Electric announced that it would divide itself into three companies, another storied American brand—Johnson & Johnson—laid out plans to “break itself up into two publicly traded...more
Public nuisance claims have long been understood to rest on “an unreasonable interference with a right common to the general public.” Typically, litigation sought recovery for damages in connection with (among other...more
In August of 2019, following a seven-week bench trial, Judge Thad Balkman of Oklahoma’s Cleveland County District Court found biotech and healthcare company Johnson & Johnson responsible for sparking the state’s opioid...more
For years, the number of people becoming addicted to opioid-based pharmaceuticals has rapidly increased. People who are chronic users of opioid drugs can experience severe side effects and are at a greater risk of overdose...more