Landmark federal opioid trial opens in Ohio

The first federal trial that could determine who should pay for the damages caused by the opioid epidemic in the United States opened in Ohio on Wednesday, with one estimate pegging the cost to the country's economy at $631 billion from 2015 to 2018.

Jury selection in the US District Court in Cleveland has started after three major drug distribution companies alleged to have played a part in the opioid crisis and two counties failed to settle the case for $18 billion.

The distributors - McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health - offered to pay $18 billion over 18 years to settle cases filed by Ohio's Cuyahoga and Summit counties, which include the cities of Cleveland and Akron.