Abbott and Reckitt Face $6 Billion Lawsuit Over Baby Formula

By Brendan Pierson

(Reuters) – A lawyer for a Missouri mother asked a jury to award over $6 billion to hold Abbott and Reckitt's Mead Johnson responsible for claims that their premature baby formulas caused severe intestinal illness.

Concerns regarding formula availability and medical decisions have arisen among doctors amid this litigation. Abbott CEO Robert Ford indicated the possibility of withdrawing their premature infant formula from the market. Reckitt's CEO Kris Licht mentioned that sale options for Mead Johnson were being considered.

Tim Cronin, representing Elizabeth Whitfield and her son Kaine, argued in St. Louis that these companies misled consumers about their formulas, which allegedly caused necrotizing enterocolitis in Kaine after he received the formula in the neonatal intensive care unit. As a result, Kaine faces lifelong health and developmental issues.

Cronin sought nearly $277 million in damages for healthcare costs, lost earnings, and suffering, alongside $5 billion in punitive damages from Abbott and $1 billion from Mead Johnson.

Both companies contend that formula does not cause the illness, with Abbott's attorney Rebecca Fitzpatrick stating that Kaine had several risk factors that would have led to necrotizing enterocolitis regardless of his feeding method.

Whitfield’s case represents one of nearly 1,000 lawsuits claiming that Abbott's and Mead's formulas cause this illness. Previous verdicts against the companies totaled $60 million and $495 million, respectively. Despite earlier jury awards, regulatory agencies have noted that evidence does not support the claim of formula causing the illness, information that was excluded from the current trial.

Summary: A Missouri mother seeks over $6 billion in damages against Abbott and Reckitt, claiming their formulas for premature babies caused a severe intestinal illness. Legal cases are increasing.