Erin Brockovich, is an inspiring movie based on a true story that shows triumph is possible. Erin Brockovich was a twice divorced unemployed single mother of three children. While driving down the street in California, she was involved in a car accident in which she suffered a neck injury and claimed it was not her fault. She consulted lawyer Ed Masry of Masry & Vititoe’s law firm to represent her and help her sue the man who slammed into her car. Unfortunately, they lost the case and Erin was left in debt. However, Erin was determined to turn her life around and she pushed her way into a job filing papers at Ed Masry’s law firm. Meanwhile, in her personal life, she met her new neighbor George, a biker, with whom she later started to have a relationship. He soon became her nanny so she could work late hours. While at work, Erin came across medical records and blood samples in real estate files. This intrigued her and after asking Ed to further investigate, she became fully invested in this case. This case involved the Pacific Gas & Electric Company contaminating resident’s water in Hinkley, California. Erin started her investigation by visiting the Jensen family, where she learned that PG&E wanted to buy their house and were paying their medical bills. All of a sudden, she realized that something was not right, which led her to discuss tje situation with a college science professor. He informed her that there are several types of chromium, however hexavalent chromium (chromium 6) is highly toxic as it causes many harmful problems such as chronic nosebleeds, respiratory disease, liver or heart failure, and even cancer. With the recommendation from the professor, Erin headed to Lahontan Regional Water Board in order to determine which type of chromium was used in Hinkley. It is here that she found an order for PG&E to cleanup and remove hexavalent chromium that was contaminating groundwater.
Summary
After reviewing papers in the Hinkley case, the professor told Erin that it was highly possible that the Jensens cancer was a result of the chromium. Later, another family talked to Erin and informed her that the wife had five miscarriages wondering if this could be due to the chromium. Ed and Erin go to Hinkley looking to add more families to join the lawsuit against PG&E. Erin became upset when Ed then hired Kurt Potter, an expert in toxic cases, to help with the Hinkley case. However, they decided that it was necessary to prove that the PG&E headquarters in San Francisco knew that the water was contaminated and did nothing about it. Kurt then said that the case should only be heard by one judge, so the decision would be final and is not allowed to be appealed. However, the Hinkley residents were expecting a trial, so Ed had at meeting in Hinkley to get everyone on board telling them this plan was the best way to get money for them. In order for this plan to be enacted, Erin went door to door to get plaintiffs consent. While doing this, Erin met Charles Embry at a bar. He informed her that he was a former employee of PG&E who worked at their chemical plant. He also said he was ordered to destroy documents that contained incriminating evidence against PG&E. Fortunately, Charles did not destroy his records and gave them to Erin. With these records that showed PG&E headquarters were guilty and the required 634 plaintiff’s signatures, Ed and Erin won the case for the Hinkley residents. It was ruled by a judge that PG&E had to pay the plaintiffs $333 million dollars. It ended happily with the Jensen family receiving five million dollars and Erin received a bonus check of two million dollars. Brockovich was underestimated but proved herself to be a hardworking woman that was able to take down a successful company.
