Enfamil Lawsuit
Parents of premature infants diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) filed Enfamil lawsuits claiming the formula caused the disease. Lawsuits claim Mead Johnson didn’t warn the public about NEC risk. In March 2024, an Illinois jury awarded $60 million to a mother whose infant died from NEC after using Enfamil.
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- Last Modified: July 16, 2024
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- Defendant
- Mead Johnson
- Injuries in Lawsuits
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), death from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) complications
- Products Involved
- Enfamil cow’s milk baby formulas
- Status
- 534 total pending cases in baby formula multidistrict litigation
Latest Enfamil Lawsuit Updates
As of July 2024, 534 Enfamil and Similac lawsuits are pending multidistrict litigation (MDL). MDL 3026 is before U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer in the Northern District of Illinois. Cases name manufacturers Mead Johnson (the maker of Enfamil) and Abbott (the maker of Similac) as defendants in necrotizing enterocolitis baby formula lawsuits.
We’ve researched these lawsuits and have also spoken to our legal partners to bring you the following Enfamil lawsuit updates. Check back often to find out the litigation’s status.
Enfamil NEC Lawsuit Timeline
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June 2024
Judge Pallmeyer issued an order that finally gave us a bellwether test trial schedule in the MDL. In our experience reporting on mass tort trials, it can sometimes take about a year to go through pretrial proceedings with expert depositions, jury selection and associated motions. In this case, Judge Pallmeyer gave a deadline of August 2024 to close on fact discovery. The tentative bellwether test date was set for May 2025.
The date could change, or defendants may try to enter settlement negotiations before then. This is the first bellwether in the MDL, however, and the results of this trial will provide both sides with more information on how their arguments will go before a jury. The Illinois state court trial in March 2024 ended in a $60 million plaintiff’s verdict, and this result could also play into future trial considerations. -
May 2024
MDL Judge Pallmeyer ordered that plaintiffs must have specific evidence that an infant consumed Enfamil or another Mead Johnson product to sue the company and not have their lawsuit dismissed.
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March 2024
An Illinois jury ruled that Mead Johnson must compensate the mother of a premature infant who died from an intestinal disease after being given the company's baby formula, Enfamil, with a verdict of $60 million. In our experience, a big verdict could influence future cases and was an encouraging win for plaintiffs.
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April 2023
Lawyers continued to negotiate how discovery is to be conducted. According to court documents we researched, parties needed to submit a brief on any outstanding issues to the court by April 25, 2023. In theory, having these procedures in place helps the process run more smoothly, especially with hundreds of cases in an MDL.
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March 2023
The judge scheduled Science Day proceedings for May 3, 2023. Science Day allows the parties to present an overview of general medical and scientific issues to the court. From our coverage of these cases, the parties will present science that either connects or doesn’t connect cow’s milk baby formulas to an increased risk of NEC in premature infants. Court documents we’ve researched show that plaintiffs claim that studies as far back as the 1990s show premature babies who consume cow’s milk formula are more likely to develop NEC than breastfed babies.
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December 2022
Defendants and plaintiffs selected potential bellwether test trial cases: Clarke, Cresap, Inman, Mar, Brown, Diggs, Lopez and Koeth. Randomly selected bellwether cases were McCarthy, Jacobs, Kelton and Donaldson.
Similac is the primary focus of most cases in the MDL, with Abbott being the defendant. However, Mead Johnson is also involved in a significant number of Enfamil lawsuits. If your baby consumed Similac and not Enfamil, you can visit our Similac lawsuit page for more information. Our legal partners may also be able to help you file a lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories.
Do I Qualify For an Enfamil Lawsuit?
According to our legal partners, you may qualify for an Enfamil lawsuit if you meet the following criteria below. These are only guidelines, and we encourage you to contact our legal partners for a free case evaluation.
These criteria are for Enfamil lawsuits, but they also apply to Similac lawsuits and potentially other cow’s milk formulas as well.
- Your child developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)
- Your child consumed formula that contained cow’s milk protein
- Your child was born prematurely or with a low birth weight
Again, we urge you to contact an attorney right away because there is a time limit to file a claim called the statute of limitations. It’s different in each state, but if the time runs out, you could be barred from filing a lawsuit.
People who wanted to file a lawsuit for various product liability issues have contacted us and shared that all the lawyers they contacted couldn’t help them because of the SOL running out — and this is truly heartbreaking for them.
Enfamil Lawsuit Analysis:
Jasmine Watson v. Mead Johnson:
We analyzed Watson v. Mead Johnson, the first Enfamil case that recently went to trial and ended in a plaintiff’s verdict. Jasmine Watson filed her Enfamil lawsuit against Mead Johnson, a unit of Reckitt Benckiser, in Illinois state court. This is an important case because it’s the first baby formula case to go to trial and could influence hundreds of lawsuits in the MDL.
Enfamil Usage:
Watson’s child, Chance Dean, was fed Enfamil cow’s milk formula shortly after a premature birth at 31 weeks.
Injuries Alleged:
Watson’s child, Chance Dean, died after he developed NEC. Her lawsuit claimed Enfamil was unreasonably dangerous for premature infants, and the company failed to warn her and her physicians of the danger.
Relief Sought:
Compensation for financial and emotional damages, including pain and suffering from the loss of baby Chance Dean.
Verdict:
The jury took only a few hours to deliver a $60 million verdict in favor of Watson. They found Mead Johnson was negligent and failed to warn Watson of the risk of NEC. Mead Johnson vows to appeal the verdict.
Why Are People Filing Enfamil Lawsuits?
According to our legal partners, people are filing Enfamil lawsuits because they claim its manufacturer, Mead Johnson, failed to warn them that Enfamil baby formula could increase the risk of preterm infants developing necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC.
Studies as far back as 1990 show that NEC is six to 10 times more common in exclusively formula-fed babies than babies who were breastfed, according to Enfamil lawsuits. It is up to 20 times more common in preemies who consumed formula but is rare in breastfed preemies.
“Families have filed NEC baby formula lawsuits to seek justice and hold companies accountable for their negligence.”
Enfamil baby formula lawsuits claim Mead Johnson knew that preterm infants who consumed cow’s milk formulas such as Enfamil baby formula had a greater risk of developing NEC. Parents and caregivers are suing for compensation for medical bills, their child’s loss of quality of life, funeral expenses for infants who died from NEC complications and other damages.
According to the award-winning firm Simmons Hanly Conroy, “Families have filed NEC baby formula lawsuits to seek justice and hold companies accountable for their negligence.”
Enfamil Formulas Named in Lawsuit
All cow’s milk Enfamil baby formula products may potentially be named in Enfamil lawsuits. These include complete baby formulas as well as human milk fortifiers and supplements.
This is a basic list that our legal partners have provided us to share with parents.
- Enfamil 24 Calorie Formula
- Enfamil DHA-In-Sol
- Enfamil Enfagrow Toddler and Enfagrow Premium Toddler
- Enfamil Enspire
- Enfamil Human Milk Fortifier Acidified Liquid
- Enfamil Human Milk Fortifier Powder (HCPM)
- Enfamil Liquid Human Milk Fortifier Standard Protein
- Enfamil NeuroPro EnfaCare Premature Baby Formula
- Enfamil NeuroPro Gentlease
- Enfamil Nutramigen
- Enfamil Premature 24 Cal
- Enfamil Premature 30 Cal
- Enfamil Premature Infant Formula 24 Cal
- Enfamil Premature Infant Formula 30 Cal with Iron
- Enfamil Premature Infant Iron Formula 20 Cal
- Enfamil Liquid Human Milk Fortifier High Protein
If your baby suffered NEC and you aren’t sure what type of formula your baby consumed, a baby formula lawyer may be able to help. Our legal partners can research medical records and tell you what formula may have affected your baby.
Families Affected in Lawsuits
Families most affected in Enfamil lawsuits are those whose premature infants developed NEC after they were fed Enfamil baby formula in the hospital or at home after hospital discharge, according to our research.
Mead Johnson formulates special products to help premature babies recover and gain weight, and the company has a 40% share of the U.S. baby formula market — this makes it more likely that premature babies might consume it in the hospital or at home. According to our legal partners, Enfamil formulas are likely to be fed to premature babies recovering in the NICU.
“Defendants did not provide any warning on their labeling, websites or marketing materials that warns that their cow’s milk-based products exponentially increase the risk of NEC in preterm infants, or that human breast milk, donor breast milk and human breast milk-based formulas and fortifiers are much safer for preterm babies than their cow’s milk-based products.”
Sasha Stewart filed one 2022 Enfamil lawsuit in Maryland District Court that we reviewed. Her baby, known as Baby A.F. in the complaint, began feeding on maternal breast milk or donor human milk in the NICU. He then progressed to Enfamil Premature Infant Formula 24 Calories. Doctors transitioned him to a diet consisting entirely of formulas.
A few days later, Baby A.F. developed NEC and was taken off formula. He suffered from serious complications, including sepsis and abdominal distension. He was admitted to the hospital four times and had two open-bowel surgeries to treat NEC. Baby A.F. couldn’t come home for almost six months, and the ordeal caused extreme emotional and financial hardship for his mother.
Steps To File an Enfamil Lawsuit
The first step in filing an Enfamil lawsuit is to determine if your premature infant consumed an Enfamil brand baby formula before developing NEC. If you intend to file an NEC lawsuit, we recommend you make sure to hire an experienced baby formula lawyer.
For example, our legal partners have many years of experience in tackling complex litigations against big companies like Mead Johnson. Clicking on the free case evaluation button on this page will connect you with our legal partners.
These claims can be difficult, complicated, stressful and emotional. An Enfamil lawsuit lawyer can help you navigate the process and make it easier on your family. Our legal partners have a track record of obtaining billions in settlements and jury verdicts for their clients.
- Find an experienced product liability lawyer with experience in mass tort litigation.
- Get a free case evaluation. If you qualify, your lawyer will file your Enfamil lawsuit on your family’s behalf.
- Your lawyer will collect evidence to help strengthen your claim.
- Your lawyer will communicate with the judge and defendants and continue to file any necessary court documents.
- Your lawyer will prepare your case for trial or negotiate a settlement.
Parents and caregivers are filing Similac lawsuits for the same reason they are filing Enfamil lawsuits, which is that their preterm infants developed NEC after consuming these brands of cow’s milk baby formula.
Abbott Laboratories holds slightly more market share in the U.S. baby formula market, which means more babies are likely to consume Similac than they are to consume Enfamil. When judges consolidated baby formula lawsuits from across the country into multidistrict litigation in Illinois, almost all the initial baby formula lawsuits were Similac lawsuits against Abbott.
Has Enfamil Been Recalled?
There has been no Enfamil recall for NEC risks. Enfamil is not connected to the 2022 Abbott baby formula recall of products manufactured at its Sturgis, Michigan, plant.
The Abbott baby formula recall began in February 2022 and was connected to potential bacterial contamination. Babies became sick after consuming Similac and other Abbott formulas, and some died.
Because of the baby formula shortage, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed the Sturgis plant to reopen in June 2022 and manufacture some formulas.
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