Abbott Settles 2,000 Infant Formula Claims for $670 Million After $495 Million Verdict
Updated
Updated · The Union Leader · Aug 20
Abbott Settles 2,000 Infant Formula Claims for $670 Million After $495 Million Verdict
3 articles · Updated · The Union Leader · Aug 20
Summary
$670 million will resolve claims from 2,000 people who alleged Abbott's specialty formulas for preterm infants caused harm, the company said Thursday.
The settlement covers one standout case in which a St. Louis jury in 2024 ordered Abbott to pay $495 million after finding its formula caused an Illinois girl to develop necrotizing enterocolitis.
Abbott had been appealing that verdict to Missouri's Supreme Court after a state appeals court upheld the judgment in May 2026.
The deal, struck with three law firms, closes a large block of litigation tied to allegations over formula used for vulnerable preterm infants.
With 1,700 lawsuits still pending, will Abbott’s massive $670 million settlement trigger a catastrophic financial domino effect for infant formula makers?
Did a jury punish a corporation for a natural tragedy, or did formula makers truly hide fatal risks from vulnerable parents?
If cow's milk formulas increase fatal disease risks in preemies, why are these products still legally used in hospitals today?