The money awarded was only a small fraction of the settlement the state of Oklahoma was seeking, but its impact on other pending lawsuits could be enormous.

In the landmark ruling, Judge Thad Balkman ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $575 million for "false, misleading marketing campaigns" for opioid painkillers that led to addiction and death.

It's the first verdict to hold a drug-maker responsible for the devastation caused by opioid addiction.

Judge Balkman said, "The opioid crisis is an imminent danger and menace to Oklahomans."

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said, "Johnson & Johnson will finally be held accountable for thousands of deaths and addiction caused by their activities."

It was an important victory for the families of opioid victims.

Craig and Gail Box testified at trial how their son Austin, as a linebacker at the University of Oklahoma, started taking painkillers after a back injury. He became addicted and died of an overdose in 2011. "Nothing is going to bring my son back, but this victory allows his death to stand for something," Gail Box said.

The state of Oklahoma's lawsuit had demanded more than $17 billion. Attorney General Hunter said, "The company used pseudoscience and misleading information to downplay the risks of opioids, leading to the worst manmade public nuisance our state and this country has ever seen, the opioid crisis."

Johnson & Johnson denied the claims against it and has vowed to appeal. Its legal counsel Sabrina Strong said, "We have sympathy for all who suffer from substance abuse. But Johnson & Johnson did not cause the opioid abuse crisis here in Oklahoma or anywhere in this country."

So far, 48 states and more than 1,500 local and tribal governments have suits pending against drug makers over the cost of the opioid crisis.

The CDC says opioids and prescription drugs killed 50,000 Americans in 2017, making it the leading cause of injury-related deaths.

Also on Monday, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that previously secret testimony from former Purdue Pharma President Richard Sackler and other documents about Purdue Pharma's marketing of its potent opioid painkiller Oxycontin will finally be made public. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

'The Way, The Truth and The Life': Direct Descendant of Muhammad Now Follows Jesus

Food for Thought: The Rich Do Not Get Rich at Expense of the Poor [Video]

Mamdani Erases Little Italy ... and (Of Course) the Jews

A Lesson from King David, and a Call to Prayer from Give Him 15

Prayer Alert: Israel Has Informed the US of Another Specific Plot to Assassinate Donald Trump

Marco Rubio Steps in After Tim Walz Pardoned Illegal Alien Child Rapist before Deportation

Prosecutors Present Texts of Alleged Confession by Tyler Robinson in Hearing for Charlie Kirk Murder

'The Resurrection and the Life': Navy Vet Comes Back to Life After Family Prays

Are Weight Loss Medications Right for You? Pros and Cons of GLP-1s

Company Issues Voluntary Recall of This Specific Kind of 'Pedigree' Canned Dog Food

Prayer Alert: Hundreds of Thousands of Acres Burn as Fires Spread in West

HHS Announces $281 Million to Expand Addiction and Mental Health Programs

Results: In Turkey, Trump Ordered a Trade Halt with Spain, Now They've Suddenly Agreed to Boost NATO Payments

As Billboards Promoting 'Birth Tourism' Pop Up Along Border, Trump to Ask SCOTUS to Reconsider 'Insane Decision' in Birthright Citizenship Case

Charlie Kirk Conspiracy Theories Suddenly Disappear as Video Evidence is Shown in Court

Donnie Wahlberg: 'The Most Important Thing I Ever Did Was to Give My Life to Christ'

'Fourth of July Miracle': Missing 4-Year-Old Found Alive after Walking Nearly Five Miles Along Oregon Coast

Christian Hollywood Star Exposes the Perverse, 'Demonic' Fraud Inside Foster Care System

Brazilian Judge Sentences Parents to Prison for Homeschooling Their Daughters

Little Sisters of the Poor Return to Court Again over Obama Contraception Mandate