May 28, 2019 - Health

What's at stake in the Oklahoma opioids trial

Bob Herman

In this image, small white round pills spill out of a white bottle. — Oxycontin pills. Photo: Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

After Oklahoma's Attorney General Mike Hunter announced an $85 million settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals over the weekend in the state's ongoing opioids case, only Johnson & Johnson is left defending itself in the suit.

Why it matters: Oklahoma is seeking $17 billion in damages over a crisis that has killed thousands of Americans, and if the state wins, it spells trouble of historic proportions for all of the various companies that are part of the consolidated national lawsuit in Ohio.

Purdue Pharma got out of the case by agreeing to a $270 million settlement in March.

Who we're watching: Judge Thad Balkman, who will rule on the case after hearing 8 weeks of arguments.

J&J denies wrongdoing and believe Oklahoma’s sole "public nuisance" claim is baseless.

Go deeper: Oklahoma argues J&J was the "kingpin" that fueled the country's opioid crisis

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What's at stake in the Oklahoma opioids trial

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