What is a civil action (film) about?
A Civil Action (film) The film and court case revolve around the issue of trichloroethylene, an industrial solvent, and its contamination of a local aquifer. A lawsuit was filed over industrial operations that appeared to have caused fatal cases of leukemia and cancer, as well as a wide variety of other health problems,...
What kind of case is a civil action?
A Civil Action (1998) A tenacious lawyer takes on a case involving a major company responsible for causing several people to be diagnosed with leukemia due to the town's water supply being contaminated, at the risk of bankrupting his firm and career.
Is there any spoilers in the movie a civil action?
This synopsis contains no spoilers, in the same way that real life stories reported widely in the news contain no spoilers, only smoking guns. The plot of "A Civil Action" is based on a true story of the successful personal injury "ambulance chaser" [Characters' words] lawyer, otherwise unfulfilled, secretly hoping for that one big case.
What was the first court case in a civil action?
A Civil Action. A Civil Action is a non-fiction book by Jonathan Harr about a water contamination case in Woburn, Massachusetts, in the 1980s. The book became a best-seller and won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction. The case is Anderson v. Cryovac. The first reported decision in the case is at 96 F.R.D.
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What was the result of the case in A Civil Action movie?
After a lengthy trial, the case is dismissed in favor of Beatrice, after Jan turned down an offer of $20 million from Beatrice attorney Jerry Facher during jury deliberations.
What case was the movie A Civil Action based on?
the Woburn caseBased on Jonathan Harr's painstakingly researched book about the Woburn case, "A Civil Action" introduces us to Schlichtmann (John Travolta) as a slick Boston attorney who is very good at one thing and one thing only: forcing companies with deep pockets to settle for big bucks by dangling a plaintiff in a wheelchair – ...
What was the movie civil action about?
In this legal thriller based on a true story, John Travolta stars as Jan Schlichtmann, a tenacious personal-injury attorney whose fierce determination entangles him in a case that threatens to destroy him. The case -- which appears straight forward -- instead evolves into a labyrinthine lawsuit of vast dimensions, in the intelligent, fast-paced drama, "A Civil Action."A Civil Action / Film synopsis
What company is A Civil Action about?
A Civil Action is a 1995 non-fiction book by Jonathan Harr about a water contamination case in Woburn, Massachusetts, in the 1980s. The book became a best-seller....A Civil Action.Cover to the paperback editionAuthorJonathan HarrLanguageEnglishPublishedAugust 29, 1995PublisherRandom House7 more rows
Where is Jan Schlichtmann now?
Jan Schlichtmann Joins ClassAction.com as Of Counsel Attorney.
What happened to Jan Schlichtmann partners?
When the case was over, Schlichtmann lost his partners, his career and "got the hell out of town" by moving to Hawaii. He returned to Boston in 1993 to start over, which has meant marriage and two young sons. Since the movie, he is especially in demand on the lecture circuit.
Is civil action based on a true story?
'A Civil Action' is based on a true story of a court case about environmental pollution that took place in Woburn, Massachusetts in the 1970s. It was a tragic time, for the people who lost their loved ones.
Who won the Woburn case?
Jerome Facher, a lawyer who successfully defended a Woburn tannery accused of water pollution that plaintiffs linked to a cluster of childhood leukemia deaths — a case that became the basis of a best-selling book and a Hollywood movie — died on Sept.
What is the meaning of civil action?
A civil action is a noncriminal lawsuit that begins with a complaint and usually involves private parties. The plaintiff is the party filing the complaint, and the defendant is the party defending against the complaint's allegations.
What was Mr schlichtmann forced to file?
11. What was Mr. Schlichtmann forced to file? He was forced to file bankruptcy.
Who were the whistleblowers in the movie A Civil Action?
4. The whistle blowers in this film were workers from the factories causimg al, the waters to become polluted, what led them to tell the truth was watching their kids and seeing how easyly they coild come down with this sickness as well.
Is A Civil Action accurate?
For many viewers I have spoken to, A Civil Action represents an honest, accurate description of a civil lawsuit.
Who won the Woburn case?
Jerome Facher, a lawyer who successfully defended a Woburn tannery accused of water pollution that plaintiffs linked to a cluster of childhood leukemia deaths — a case that became the basis of a best-selling book and a Hollywood movie — died on Sept.
Is the movie class action based on a true story?
The movie's storyline is based on the Ford Pinto legal case - the lawsuit of Grimshaw v. Ford Motor Company (119 Cal. App.
Who were the whistleblowers in the movie A Civil Action?
4. The whistle blowers in this film were workers from the factories causimg al, the waters to become polluted, what led them to tell the truth was watching their kids and seeing how easyly they coild come down with this sickness as well.
Who were the plaintiffs in A Civil Action?
A civil action is a noncriminal lawsuit that begins with a complaint and usually involves private parties. The plaintiff is the party filing the complaint, and the defendant is the party defending against the complaint's allegations.
Storyline
Jan Schlichtmann, a tenacious lawyer, is addressed by a group of families. When investigating the seemingly non-profiting case, he finds it to be a major environmental issue that has a lot of impact potential. A leather production company could be responsible for several deadly cases of leukemia, but also is the main employer for the area.
Did you know
The real Jerome Facher was thrilled at the way he was portrayed by Robert Duvall.
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By what name was A Civil Action (1998) officially released in India in English?
How much did Schlichtmann settle for his family?
Schlichtmann disperses the settlement to the families, excluding expenses and attorney's fees (which resulted in approx. $375,000 per family). When some families think Schlichtmann had overbilled expenses, he acquiesces and surrenders more of his fee. Schlichtmann later files for bankruptcy after losing his condo and car; he lived in his office for a time. Schlichtmann eventually practices environmental, civil, and personal injury law.
Why didn't Schlichtmann take the case?
Schlichtmann originally decides not to take the case due to both the lack of evidence and a clear defendant. Later picking up the case, Schlichtmann finds evidence suggesting trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination of the town's water supply by Riley Tannery, a subsidiary of Beatrice Foods; a chemical company, W. R. Grace; and another company named Unifirst .
Why is the case against Grace so strong?
The plaintiffs' case against Grace is far stronger for two reasons: (1) Schlichtmann has personal testimony of a former employee of Grace who had witnessed dumping, and (2) a river between Beatrice's tannery and the contaminated wells makes Beatrice's contribution to the contamination less likely.
What was the first decision in the Cryovac case?
Cryovac. The first reported decision in the case is at 96 F.R.D. 431 (denial of defendants' motion to dismiss). A 1998 film of the same name, starring John Travolta as plaintiff's lawyer Jan Schlichtmann and Robert Duvall as Beatrice Foods attorney Jerome Facher, was based on the book.
How much did Unifirst settle for?
Though Unifirst settles for a little over $1 million, the money immediately is invested in the case against Grace and Beatrice.
What is the name of the lawyer in Anne Anderson's book?
Eventually she gathers other families and seeks a lawyer, Jan Schlichtmann, to consider their options.
Does Schlichtmann practice civil law?
Schlichtmann eventually practices environmental, civil, and personal injury law. A report from the Environmental Protection Agency (which later filed its own lawsuits against the companies based on new evidence) concludes from sludge removed from the site that both companies had contaminated the wells.
How much did Schlictmann's case cost?
He laid out for the directors his plan for preparing the case, and he estimated that it would cost at least three hundred thousand dollars, maybe as much as half a million if it went to trial.
What was Schlictmann's trial strategy?
Schlictmann’s trial strategy involved an expensive moonshot: Funding original cancer research to prove a causal link between pollutants dumped by the chemical companies and leukemia in neighborhood children. The likelihood of conclusive legal proof was deemed nil by medical experts. Still, Schlictmann pressed on, totally committed to finding a way to make it work, all the while wondering if it was even possible.
Who was the attorney who sued Schlichtmann?
At the head of the table sat Ted Warshafsky, a Milwaukee lawyer who’d made his name suing drug companies. He was an excitable man in his late fifties, given to occasional explosive and profane outbursts. On the theory that a pet would have a calming effect, he had acquired a large boxer. The dog accompanied him everywhere. It took an instant dislike to Schlictmann. When Warshafsky heard half a million dollars, he flew into an apoplectic rage, his face crimson as he shouted at Schlictmann. Immediately the boxer’s ears went up. It leaped to its feet and put its paws on the table, a menacing eye on Schlictmann, who half rose from his chair, prepared to bolt from the room.
Brief Synopsis
Jan Schlichtmann, a lawyer with a desire to achieve financial and material success without losing his belief in the justice system, agrees to take on two powerful corporations (Beatrice Foods and W.R. Grace) when members of eight families in the Boston industrial suburb of Woburn are stricken with leukemia due to toxic poisoning in...
Film Details
Jan Schlichtmann, a lawyer with a desire to achieve financial and material success without losing his belief in the justice system, agrees to take on two powerful corporations (Beatrice Foods and W.R. Grace) when members of eight families in the Boston industrial suburb of Woburn are stricken with leukemia due to toxic poisoning in their tap water.
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Who is John Travolta in Civil Action?
John Travolta (left) stars as a lawyer in "Civil Action.". (Touchstone) T he only "Action" you will encounter in "A Civil Action" is in the title. Mind you, this fact-based drama about the 1982 lawsuit accusing corporate giants W.R. Grace and Beatrice Foods of contaminating the waters of Woburn, Mass., does have a pretty cool scene ...
Who plays Beatrice in Schlichtmann?
It helps that he has Robert Duvall to play off of as Beatrice corporate counsel Jerome Facher.
