EDWARDSVILLE — Abbott and Mead Johnson are facing a suit alleging their cow's milk-based infant feeding products caused premature infants to suffer death or serious health injuries.
Emma Baker and William Scott Baker, on their own behalf and as representative of the Estate of Madelyn Baker, Christina Carr, on her own behalf and as representative of the Estate of Nyla Matthews and M. Adrianne Pugh, on her own behalf and on behalf of her minor child Cassius Pugh filed a complaint June 25 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Mead Johnson & Company LLC and Abbott Laboratories, alleging strict liability for design defect and failure to warn, negligence, intentional misrepresentation, wrongful death and other claims.
The plaintiffs allege in their complaint that the defendants knowingly sold and marketed their cow's milk-based infant feeding products which led to premature and other high-risk infants developing necrotizing entercolitis (NEC) and suffering death or long-term health issues. They claim the infants were either fed Similac and/or Enfamil cow's milk-based products shortly after birth.
The plaintiffs allege the defendants used false and misleading marketing, including that their products were "medically endorsed and nutritionally equivalent" to breast milk. The plaintiffs also claim the defendants failed to adequately warn of the extreme dangers of giving their products to premature infants and that they knew or should have known the products increased the risk of NEC, serious injury and death to premature infants.
The plaintiffs seek monetary relief, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by Eric Holland and Robert Evola of The Holland Law Firm LLC in St. Louis, Ann Callis of The Holland Law Firm LLC in Granite City, and Travis Lenkner and Ashley Keller of Keller Lenkner LLC in Chicago.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 21-L-000738