Experienced Lawyers for NEC Lawsuits

Families of babies born prematurely often face extensive medical records, complicated feeding histories, and uncertain long-term care needs after an NEC diagnosis.

For Enfamil claims, medical and feeding records may identify whether a Mead Johnson formula or fortifier was administered before the child developed NEC.

NEC cases require more than proof of a diagnosis.

Attorneys must evaluate the child’s gestational age, birth weight, feeding schedule, NEC risk factors, treatment, surgeries, and permanent complications while building claims against infant formula manufacturers.

Our attorneys assist families by:

• Reviewing medical and feeding records: We examine NICU records, feeding logs, product names, caloric formulations, imaging, operative reports, and pathology records.
• Identifying the product involved: Feeding records, hospital records, and product information may establish which Enfamil formula or fortifier was administered to the child.
• Working with medical experts: We consult with neonatologists, pediatric surgeons, gastroenterologists, and other specialists to evaluate the child’s diagnosis and injuries.
• Preserving critical evidence: We collect records documenting formula use, NEC treatment, intestinal surgery, developmental impairments, and future medical needs.
• Assessing damages: We review past medical expenses, projected care costs, pain and suffering, permanent disability, and other losses permitted under applicable state law.
• Filing in the appropriate court: We determine whether the claim should proceed in federal NEC litigation or through an individual state-court lawsuit.
• Preparing each case for resolution: We develop the evidence needed for pretrial motions, settlement discussions, and trial rather than relying on the outcome of another family’s case.
• Keeping families informed: We explain major developments, deadlines, and decisions throughout the legal process.

Each claim depends on the child’s individual medical history and the evidence connecting a formula product to the alleged harm.

TorHoerman Law prepares NEC cases for the possibility of trial while helping families understand what to expect at every stage.

TorHoerman Law Obtains $495 Million Verdict Against Abbott Laboratories in Premature Infant Formula Trial

TorHoerman Law obtained a $495 million verdict against Abbott Laboratories in a Missouri state-court case involving Similac preterm infant formula.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Margo Gill, whose daughter Robynn developed NEC after receiving the cow’s milk-based product in a NICU and suffered permanent injuries requiring lifelong care.

The jury awarded $95 million in compensatory damages and $400 million in punitive damages.

In May 2026, the Missouri Court of Appeals upheld the full verdict, although Abbott has continued seeking further appellate review.

This case highlights the dedication and expertise of TorHoerman Law in holding major corporations accountable for their actions, particularly when those actions result in severe harm to vulnerable premature infants and low birth weight babies.

Our firm’s success in this trial reflects our deep commitment to seeking justice for families devastated by NEC and ensures that the voices of those impacted are heard.

As Abbott faces ongoing legal challenges, this verdict serves as a pivotal moment in the broader litigation against baby formula manufacturers.

Meet TorHoerman Law’s NEC Trial Team

TorHoerman Law’s NEC litigation is handled by attorneys with experience in product liability, scientific evidence, mass tort coordination, and jury trials.

The firm’s trial team obtained a $495 million verdict against Abbott Laboratories on behalf of Margo Gill and her daughter Robynn, including $95 million in compensatory damages and $400 million in punitive damages.

Our team of attorneys handling NEC lawsuits includes:

• Jake Plattenberger, Partner and Lead Trial Counsel: Jake served as lead trial counsel in Gill v. Abbott Laboratories. His practice focuses on trying complex product liability, toxic exposure, and catastrophic injury cases, and he has tried more than 40 cases to verdict in state and federal courts.
• Tor Hoerman, Founder and Trial Attorney: Tor served as lead trial counsel alongside Jake Plattenberger in the Gill case and helped direct the legal strategy that resulted in the $495 million verdict. He has more than 35 years of experience handling product liability and other high-stakes litigation against major corporations.
• Chad Finley, Head of Litigation and Partner: Chad was part of the legal team credited with obtaining the Gill verdict and helps oversee the development of complex litigation at TorHoerman Law. His work in NEC cases includes coordinating litigation strategy and evaluating the medical, scientific, and expert evidence needed to prepare claims for trial.
• Alexis Robinson, Attorney: Alexis was also a member of the legal team credited with the $495 million Gill verdict. Her work in the NEC litigation includes supporting pretrial coordination, expert scheduling, case preparation, and the logistics required to move individual claims toward trial.

The NEC trial team works with medical specialists, scientific experts, paralegals, and support staff to examine feeding records, identify the formula products administered, document the child’s injuries, and prepare each case for pretrial proceedings, settlement discussions, or trial.

Families work with a coordinated legal team rather than relying on a single attorney to manage every medical, evidentiary, and procedural issue involved in an NEC claim.

Thousands of families are pursuing NEC formula lawsuits against Abbott Laboratories, Mead Johnson, and other baby formula manufacturers whose preterm infant formula products have been linked to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

These claims center on evidence that premature infants who were fed cow’s milk-based formula instead of breast milk or donor human milk faced a significantly higher risk of developing NEC, a severe intestinal disease that can cause long-term complications or death.

Main allegations in the NEC formula lawsuits include:

• Manufacturers failed to warn hospitals and parents about the increased risk of NEC in premature infants.
• Companies continued marketing their preterm infant formula as safe, despite studies showing higher NEC rates among formula-fed babies.
• Safer feeding alternatives, such as donor human milk, were available but not adequately promoted or labeled as preferred for preterm infants.
• Warnings on packaging, marketing materials, and hospital supply programs omitted crucial safety information about NEC.

The lawsuits are being litigated in both state and federal courts, with many consolidated in an MDL in the Northern District of Illinois.

State-court outcomes have varied.

TorHoerman Law obtained a $495 million verdict against Abbott in Missouri, while a Cook County jury awarded $70 million against Abbott in April 2026.

A separate $60 million verdict against Mead Johnson was reversed on appeal and returned to the trial court for further proceedings.

Each lawsuit is evaluated according to the child’s medical history, feeding records, injuries, governing state law, and evidence presented in the individual case.

If your child developed NEC after receiving an Enfamil cow’s milk-based preterm formula or fortifier, you may qualify to file an individual Enfamil NEC lawsuit.

TorHoerman Law is no longer accepting NEC clients with claims against Similac.

We are still accepting clients with claims against Enfamil.

Contact our law firm for a free consultation, or use the chatbot on this page to find out whether your family may be eligible to file an Enfamil NEC claim.

What Baby Formula Brands are Named in the NEC Lawsuits?

NEC Lawsuits primarily name two major baby formula brands: Similac, manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, and Enfamil, manufactured by Mead Johnson & Company.

The litigation alleges that these companies failed to provide adequate warnings about the risks associated with their products, which are often used in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Below are specific products named in the NEC Lawsuits:

• Similac Alimentum
  • Similac Alimentum Expert Care
• Similac Special Care Formula
  • Special Care 30
  • Special Care 24
  • Special care 24 High Protein
  • Special Care 20
• Similac Human Milk Fortifier
  • Similac Human Milk Fortifier Hydrolyzed Protein – Concentrated Liquid
  • Similac Human Milk Fortifier Powder
• Similac Liquid Protein Fortifier
• Enfamil Human Milk Fortifier Powder
  • Human Milk Fortifier Liquid High Protein
  • Human Milk Fortifier Liquid Standard Protein
  • Human Milk Fortifier Acidified Liquid
• Enfamil NeuroPro Enfacare
• Enfamil Premature
  • 20 Cal
  • 24 Cal
  • 24 Cal/fl oz HP
  • 30 Cal
• Enfamil 24 and DHA & ARA Supplement

Many NEC lawsuits involve specialized preterm formulas and fortifiers administered in hospitals and NICUs, although certain products within the broader Similac and Enfamil lines are also available through retail channels.

If your premature baby was fed an Enfamil cow’s milk-based formula or fortifier and developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), you may be eligible to file an Enfamil NEC lawsuit.

TorHoerman Law is no longer accepting NEC clients with claims against Similac.

We are still accepting clients with claims against Enfamil.

Contact our NEC baby formula lawyers for a free consultation.

Necrotizing enterocolitis is a severe intestinal disease that primarily affects premature and low-birth-weight infants.

An estimated 2,000 to 4,000 infants develop NEC in the United States each year, with the greatest risk among the smallest and most medically vulnerable babies.

Approximately 5% to 7% of very-low-birth-weight infants develop NEC, while the rate may reach 10% to 15% among extremely-low-birth-weight infants.

The condition can cause intestinal tissue death, bowel perforation, sepsis, and organ failure, and its overall mortality rate can reach 20% to 30%, with substantially higher mortality among infants who require surgery.

NEC is a multifactorial disease, and prematurity remains its primary underlying risk factor.

Studies have nevertheless reported lower NEC rates among premature infants receiving human breast milk than among infants receiving preterm formula, leading medical organizations to recommend maternal milk or pasteurized donor milk when available.

Some research has examined whether an exclusive human milk diet provides additional protection by eliminating preterm formula and other bovine-derived products.

Results have varied, particularly when comparing human milk-derived and bovine-derived fortifiers, but current evidence supports human milk as the preferred base diet for very-low-birth-weight infants while recognizing that specialized formula may be medically necessary when sufficient human milk is unavailable.

NEC also has lasting consequences for parents and caregivers.

In one survey of NEC families, 83% of parents reported increased anxiety, 79% reported post-traumatic stress disorder, and nearly three-fourths said their own mental or physical health had been affected by their child’s long-term complications.

NEC baby formula lawsuits allege that Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson failed to adequately warn parents and healthcare providers about the comparative NEC risks reported among premature infants fed cow’s milk-based formula.

The manufacturers dispute that their products cause NEC and maintain that preterm formulas provide necessary nutrition for infants who cannot receive an adequate human milk supply.

Thousands of NEC Lawsuits are being filed against the manufacturers of cow milk based formulas.

Cow milk formulas have been linked to an increased risk of developing NEC, and families from across the country are seeking compensation from major baby formula manufacturers for failing to warn of this risk.

If your child developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) after being fed an Enfamil cow’s milk-based formula or fortifier, you may be eligible to file an Enfamil NEC lawsuit.

TorHoerman Law is currently accepting NEC claims involving Enfamil products manufactured by Mead Johnson.

Contact our law firm for a free consultation to discuss a potential Enfamil NEC claim.

Our NEC Baby Formula Lawyers have decades of experience seeking compensation for victims of corporate negligence, and we are actively involved in the ongoing NEC Lawsuits.

Within the NEC Lawsuit, lawyers help complete the crucial steps to filing a claim and seeking compensation.

This begins with gathering strong evidence and assessing the damages related to your case.

Gathering Evidence for NEC Baby Formula Lawsuits

Gathering evidence is a critical step in building a strong case.

Strong evidence helps establish the link between the use of cow milk based formula and the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in a child.

Comprehensive documentation is essential to demonstrate the negligence of formula manufacturers and the extent of the damages suffered.

Our experienced lawyers can assist you in collecting and preserving the necessary evidence to support your claim.

Evidence in an NEC baby formula lawsuit may include:

• Medical records showing the infant’s diagnosis of NEC and the treatments received.
• Feeding logs documenting the specific formula given to the infant.
• Expert testimony from medical professionals linking the formula to the development of NEC.
• Photographs and videos of the infant’s condition and medical procedures.

• Witness statements from healthcare providers who administered the formula.

Attorneys may also obtain internal manufacturer records, marketing materials, and corporate communications through the discovery process.

This evidence is crucial in proving your case and seeking the compensation your family deserves.

Assessing Damages in NEC Lawsuits

Damages refer to the total compensation sought for the economic and non-economic losses incurred due to a child’s necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) diagnosis and its aftermath.

Assessing these damages accurately is crucial for ensuring that families receive adequate compensation for the significant financial, physical, and emotional burdens they have endured.

Our experienced NEC Baby Formula Lawyers can help you evaluate the full extent of these damages, considering both immediate medical expenses and the long-term impacts on your child’s quality of life.

Damages in NEC Lawsuit claims may include:

• Medical expenses: Costs for surgeries, hospital stays, medications, and ongoing treatments related to NEC.
• Future care needs: Estimation of long-term care costs, including specialized therapies and potential disabilities.

• Loss of income: Financial losses due to parents needing to take time off work to care for their child.
• Diminished quality of life: Consideration of how NEC has impacted the child’s ability to lead a normal, healthy life.

• Pain and suffering: Compensation for the child’s physical pain, permanent impairment, and diminished quality of life, where recoverable.
• Parental losses: Certain jurisdictions may permit recovery for qualifying expenses, lost income, loss of services, or other parental losses.
• Punitive damages: Damages intended to punish and deter particularly wrongful conduct when the evidence and applicable state law permit them.

These factors are crucial in determining the appropriate level of compensation to seek in your NEC lawsuit.

Certain baby formulas may be linked to an increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants and low birth weight babies.

The NEC lawsuit aims to secure compensation for families who have been devastated by NEC, holding baby formula manufacturers accountable for failing to warn of these serious risks.

If your child developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) after being fed an Enfamil cow’s milk-based formula or fortifier in the NICU of a hospital, you may be eligible to file an Enfamil NEC lawsuit.

TorHoerman Law is no longer accepting NEC clients with claims against Similac.

We are still accepting clients with claims against Enfamil.

Contact our NEC lawyers for a free consultation.