A Civil Action (Journal)
In 1982, a suit against W.R. Grace and Co. and Beatrice Food Inc. was filed by Jan Schlichtmann on behalf of the families affected by children dying of leukemia and miscarriages. The allegations Jan Schlichtmann was making included the dumping of acid materials into a local river used to produce drinking water. This whole debacle took place in Woburn, Massachusetts. At first, Schlichtmann refused to take the case, because of his inexperience in the area and the financial benefits of taking this case were slim. The alleged source of contamination came from “two municipal supply wells from three local industries”(Case Summary - Anne Anderson Et Al. v. W.R. Grace & Co. Et Al.) and seven children died because of leukemia, a deadly autoimmune disease. The case started in Middlesex County Municipal Court. It was a huge risk that Schlichtmann took. Money was tight at the small Reed and Mulligan firm for this risky a case and Schlichtmann was well aware but after days of soul searching, he decided it was the right thing to do. Needless to say, this case was unique, and because of this, the media was all over it. Schlichtmann hired many experts in the field of environmental science and water quality. They were vital to the life of this case and created much controversy over their findings. “After days of deliberation, the jury found “W.R. Grace liable and Beatrice Foods non liable of contaminating wells G and H.” (Case Summary - Anne Anderson Et Al. v. W.R. Grace & Co. Et Al.) Later, Judge Skinner promised a ruling of mistrial, but the two parties were able to settle on 8 million dollars, barely enough to pay for the amount of money the firm spent and was not a reassuring amount of money for the families involved. The most reassuring events were the ones that followed. The EPA later released further evidence that the companies had in fact polluted the river and this was the reassuring punishment the victims wanted all along.
The...