Firms are still seeking families for cow's-milk formula injury claims tied to Abbott's $670 million compromise. The opportunity is a free legal case review, not a focus group or paid survey. At issue is necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a severe intestinal injury that affects preterm infants.
Abbott reached the agreements on Aug. 20, 2026, according to Abbott's August 2026 settlement announcement. For readers, the key question is whether a NICU stay involved the named preterm formulas and a later NEC diagnosis.
Official resources:
- Read the official notice from Legalexaminer — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
- Read the official notice from Schmidtandclark — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
Table of Contents
- Who is being asked to come forward?
- Which formulas are named?
- What did the $670 million resolve?
- What should eligible families do now?
Who is being asked to come forward?
The outreach focuses on parents or guardians of premature or low-birth-weight infants, according to ConsumerNotice's October 2026 case update. The infant must have received cow's-milk-based Similac in the NICU and later received an NEC-related diagnosis.
That diagnosis includes NEC itself, related intestinal injury, surgery, or death. The review screens feeding history against medical outcome, not general formula use at home.
- premature or low-birth-weight infant treated in the NICU
- fed cow's-milk-based Similac during that NICU stay
- later diagnosed with NEC, intestinal injury, or complications requiring surgery
- claims may also cover families whose infant died after such care
Which formulas are named?
The claims name specialty preterm products, according to TorHoerman Law's October 2026 litigation update. Listed examples are Similac Special Care, Similac Human Milk Fortifier, NeoSure, and Alimentum.
These are hospital and preterm products, not standard term-infant formula. Parallel litigation also names Mead Johnson cow's-milk products sold as Enfamil. Families unsure of the exact product should check NICU feeding records first.
What did the $670 million resolve?
Abbott said the amount resolves the Gill verdict plus NEC claims for about 2,000 additional infants represented by three plaintiffs' firms. Insurance Journal/Reuters reports the Gill case was a July 2024 St. Louis verdict for $495 million to mother Margo Gill.
Schmidt & Clark reports Missouri's appeals court affirmed that verdict in May 2026. The deal is partial and made without admission of liability. Legal Examiner reports about 1,700 lawsuits covering about 12,700 infants remain pending, including unclear-formula, duplicate, and Mead Johnson claims.
What should eligible families do now?
There is no global NEC settlement and no fixed per-person payout. Legal Examiner reports Mead Johnson has not settled and filing deadlines vary by state law.
Do not wait for automatic payment. Preserve NICU feeding logs, NEC diagnosis notes, surgery reports, and discharge records, then request a free legal review promptly. State time limits can close the option even while other cases continue.
