New York jury holds drugmaker Teva liable in opioid crisis

A jury has held Teva Pharmaceuticals responsible for contributing to the opioid crisis by delivering a verdict in a sweeping lawsuit filed by New York state

NEW YORK -- Drugmaker Teva Pharmaceuticals is responsible for contributing to the opioid crisis, a suburban New York jury ruled Thursday in one of few verdicts so far among thousands of lawsuits nationwide over the painkillers.

A separate trial will follow to determine what Teva will have to pay in the case, part of a sweeping lawsuit that New York Attorney General Letitia James brought against drug companies.

In Thursday's verdict, a Suffolk County jury found the drug company played a role in what is legally termed a public nuisance but had lethal consequences — an opioid use epidemic linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. in the past two decades.

“Teva Pharmaceuticals USA and others misled the American people about the true dangers of opioids," James, a Democrat, said in a news release. “Today, we took a significant step in righting the wrongs this country has collectively experienced over the last two decades.”