Recalled Abbott Infant Formula

This docket consolidates claims tied to a 2022 recall of certain Abbott powdered infant formula products manufactured at a Michigan facility, after reports of bacterial contamination associated with infant illness prompted the recall and a related nationwide formula shortage. Centralized before Judge Matthew F. Kennelly in the Northern District of Illinois, the docket now shows 14 actions pending against 141 total filed — meaning roughly 90% of the original filing population has resolved, dismissed, or otherwise closed out, leaving a small residual population well into the docket's later phase.

For a funder, this is not a portfolio-finance opportunity at scale. The steep attrition from 141 to 14 pending actions suggests the bulk of claims — whether economic-loss claims tied to the formula shortage or personal-injury claims tied to reported infant illness — have already worked through resolution, likely via settlement, dismissal, or individual case disposition. Any remaining funding interest should be evaluated claim by claim, with particular attention to why a specific action remains active this late in the docket's life and what injury or damages theory it asserts relative to the claims that have already resolved.

Medical-lien considerations are directly relevant for any surviving personal-injury claim tied to infant illness requiring hospitalization or ongoing care, and any evaluation should account for that exposure against expected recovery. Given the small remaining population, Criterica Capital's mass tort finance line is best applied here through individual case evaluation rather than a portfolio structure, and a structural brief on this docket's resolution history is available through Criterica Intelligence for firms assessing what, if anything, remains to litigate.

Pre-settlement funding is a non-recourse purchase of a portion of the proceeds of a pending legal claim — not a loan. If the case does not result in a recovery, nothing is owed. Rates, fees, and repayment terms are disclosed in full in the funding agreement, which the applicant’s attorney reviews before signing. Availability and terms vary by state.