In 1992, Erin
Brochovich was working for the law firm Masry and Vititoe answering phones,
when she came across a pro bono case. The case was that Pacific Gas &
Electric’s interest in buying a plot of land that a family resided on in
Hinkley, California. Something didn’t sit right with Erin when she saw that
there was blood samples mixed in with the real estate papers. Even though her
education was limited and she had no legal training she threw herself into
investigating the case.
What Erin
found out was that PG & E had knowledge that their company was leaking a contaminant
called Chromium 6 in to the water well of Hinkley, California, not just
recently but for the past 30 years. Residents were suffering from illnesses and
ailments ranging from severe chronic nose bleed to cancer. "All
the delays, all the stalling, all the shell games are doing nothing but
degrading the environment further and jeopardizing the health and welfare of
countless people. It makes no sense," Brockovich said. (TheDailyBullentine.com)
In 1993, 634
residents of Hinkley, California hired Masry & Vititoe to sue Pacific Gas
& Electric. "I don't think they wanted the publicity Erin
Brockovich could bring ... she speeded things up a bit," Sathre said. (thedailybullentine.com)
For nearly 4 years, the case stood still in arbitration but was finally
settled out of court for $333 million dollars.
After the lawyers cut of 40% plus an additional $10 million the rest of
the 634 residents were left to split around $189 million which roughly
translated to $277,000 a person. Although some residents weren’t even awarded
that much, some were given as little as $50,000. "Hinkley
will be a ghost town," Brockovich said. "It will be another town lost
in America due to pollution."(mercurynews.com)
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