Cook County Jury Awards $70 Million in Damages Against Abbott Over Infant Formula
A Cook County jury has awarded $70 million in damages to four families who claimed that Abbott Laboratories' formula for premature infants caused their babies to develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a severe intestinal disease. The verdict includes $53 million in compensatory damages and $17 million in punitive damages. The trial, which concluded recently, was the first of its kind in Illinois state court against Abbott. The plaintiffs argued that Abbott's Similac Special Care formula was defective and that the company failed to adequately warn of its dangers. Abbott, facing over 1,700 similar lawsuits nationwide, plans to appeal the decision, maintaining that its formula does not cause NEC and that the verdict disregards scientific evidence. 
