A Cook County jury has awarded $70 million to four families in their lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories, finding that the company's cow’s-milk-based infant formula contributed to a life-threatening condition in premature infants.Jurors had awarded $53 million in actual damages on Thursday after d etermining that Illinois-based Abbott’s Similac product caused the infants to develop necrotizing enterocolitis, a severe intestinal disease that primarily affects premature babies.Friday, they returned to Cook Circuit Court to consider punitive damages, awarding $17 million, according to a news release from the plaintiff’s attorney.“We are gratified by the jury’s liability and punitive damages verdicts,” said Sean Grimsley, the Denver-based attorney who represented the families. “Hopefully Abbott will finally get the message that it needs to change its conduct and warn parents about the dangers of its product.”Necrotizing enterocolitis occurs when bacteria invade the intestinal lining, leading to inflammation, tissue death and sometimes the perforation of the intestine. The condition often requires emergency surgery and carries a high risk of death, according to medical experts.Abbott is headquartered in Abbott Park, about 35 miles north of Chicago, and also has offices in Willis Tower.The lawsuit was brought on behalf of four families whose infants were fed the formula while in intensive care units. Attorneys for the families argued Abbott was aware that cow’s-milk-based formulas increased the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, but did not warn consumers or providers.“This verdict reveals the truth that Abbott hid from the public: cow’s-milk-based baby formula causes NEC in premature infants,” Grimsley was quoted as saying in the news release. “No amount of money can help these families recover from this terrible disease, but today’s verdict provides a measure of justice.”Attorneys said the affected children suffered severe and lasting complications as a result of the illness.The case, filed against Abbott Laboratories by Antonia Mendez on behalf of her minor child, is among a growing number of lawsuits nationwide targeting manufacturers of cow’s-milk-based infant formula over supposed links to necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants.Attorneys for Abbott, which is one of the largest infant formula manufacturers in the United States, did not respond to a request for comment. ...read more read less