In a historic trial that set the stage for thousands of opioid lawsuits across the U.S., Brad Beckworth of Nix Patterson, LLP led the charge in Oklahoma against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson. The case, presided over by Judge Thad Balkman, was the first civil trial of its kind to hold a company accountable for its role in the devastating opioid epidemic. Beckworth, representing the state, argued that Johnson & Johnson, driven by corporate greed, knowingly flooded the market with addictive painkillers while misleading the public and health professionals about the risks.
During the trial, Beckworth presented compelling evidence, including internal company documents, to demonstrate that Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries aggressively marketed opioids despite being aware of the potential for widespread abuse. He revealed how the company’s operations—from cultivating poppies to manufacturing potent painkillers—contributed to the opioid crisis. Oklahoma sought $17.5 billion for recovery efforts, and the trial was a key moment in the ongoing fight to hold corporations accountable for their role in the epidemic.
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