artbyamer

Week 2 EOC:
Facts about the Erin Brokovich case, Anderson vs Pacific Gas and Electric:

• both sides agreed to arbitration in order to speed up the process
• because of the arbitration, details of it were kept secret, which angered some of the victims
• the case was settled in 1996 for $333 million in damages
• the plaintiffs attorneys got 40%, $133 million, then billed the clients an extra $10 million for expenses
• Erin Brokovich got $2 million
• 650 residents got part of the settlemen
• the average was $300,000 per victim
• some of the victims were upset about the amounts they received
• the plaintiffs attorneys didn't disburse the settlement money until 6 months after they got it, which is very unusual, no explanation was given for this
• unlike in the movie, once the case got going, the plaintiffs attorneys hired some big law firms to help them win the case

My opinion of the case:

I think the case is very interesting in that it shows how attorneys can help the victims of environmental damage get large settlements, even against very large and well connected companies like PG&E. If parts of the movie are to be believed, it also shows how the presence of a beautiful woman like Erin Brokovich can open doors and get information that would be unobtainable by normal means. This probably wouldn't be possible if our society wasn't so male dominated, with most power in the hands of men.

My opinion of lawyers:

Lawyers are a necessary part of our society. I think quite highly of those lawyers that fight for what I believe in, like environmental and consumer protection. Without them, the big companies would get away with far more things than they do now. On the other hand, some lawyers have a bad reputation in society and I feel it is deserved by the tactics they use and the ethics they have.