Similac NEC Lawyer

Similac Has Caused Serious Injuries and Death to Infants

Similac is a popular baby formula used to feed infants or supplement the mother’s natural breast milk. The product is given to babies in neonatal intensive care units and is different from those sold in stores to feed infants. Similac is made by Abbott Laboratories, which sells over $2 billion of the product each year. Recently, Abbott sparked a nationwide baby formula shortage because of contamination issues in its main manufacturing plant when it had to recall millions of cans of the product.

There is an even larger problem with Similac that can put an infant’s life at risk and cause serious health problems. Similac has been linked with necrotizing enterocolitis.

NEC causes inflammation and tissue death in the small or large intestine. The problem is particularly acute in premature babies, whose bodies are even more vulnerable. NEC can lead to fatality in roughly 50 percent of cases. Babies who survive NEC are left with long-term health problems because their intestines may not function properly.

One of the main reasons why Abbott faces legal risk is that its product labels did not contain any warnings about possible intestinal conditions. When a company knows about the potential risks (as Abbott is alleged to), they have an obligation to warn the public about the risks or make changes to the formula to make it safer. Here, Abbott did neither, and numerous babies were injured.

Families have already begun pursuing compensation against Abbott Labs. In some cases, juries have been particularly angered by the fact that the company knew of the risks of its product and failed to warn the public about it. Abbott continued to earn large-scale profits by charging a premium price for their product, while knowing it might cause long-term harm to helpless babies.  Abbott has already been on the wrong end of trial verdicts regarding Similac.

Many other cases are proceeding against Abbott in federal court. In addition, other baby formula product manufacturers have also faced lawsuits for similar issues with their own products. There is currently multi-district litigation in federal court, with over 200 cases consolidated into the legal action. The bellwether cases in this lawsuit are scheduled for trial later this year. If the jury rules against Abbott, as juries have already done in other states, the company may be under extreme pressure to settle the cases, as its stock dropped eight percent in response to the news of recent verdicts.

If your child suffered injuries, joining a case or bringing your own action might be in your best interests. Our Similac NEC attorneys at Tysons Trial Law, PLLC, can assess your options.