A Civil Action
The book became a best-seller and won the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction.
The case is Anderson v. The first reported decision in the case is at 96 F.R.D.
431 (denial of defendants' motion to dismiss).
A film by the same name based on the book was produced in 1998, starring John Travolta as Schlitmann and Robert Duvall as Facher.
Plot summary
After finding her child is diagnosed with leukemia, Anne Anderson begins to notice a high incidence of leukemia, what should be a relatively rare disease, in her neighborhood. Eventually she gathers other families and seeks a lawyer, Jan Schlichtmann, to consider their options.
Though Schlichtmann originally agrees to take the case, the lack of evidence and a clear defendant results in the case being ignored.
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.
In the course of the lawsuit, Schlichtmann gets other attorneys to assist him.
Initially he spends lavishly as he had in his prior lawsuits, though the length of the discovery process and trial soon stretch his assets to their limit. Though Unifirst settles for a little over $1 million, the money is immediately invested in the remaining case against Grace and Beatrice.
Grace for $8 million.
Schlichtmann dispersed the settlement to the families excluding expenses and attorney's fee. When some of the families thought Schlichtmann had overbilled expenses, he acquiesced and surrendered more of his fee.
The judge dismissed the case, citing testimony from Beatrice's soil chemist.
People involved
Afflicted Families
plaintiffs in lawsuit
Anderson, Ann & Charles - son Jimmy (leukemia victim)
Aufiero, Richard & Lauren - son Jarrod (leukemia victim)
Gamache, Roland (leukemia victim)
Kane, Kevin & Patricia - son Kevin Jr. (leukemia victim)
Nagle - son (leukemia victim)
Robbins, Donna & Carl - son Carl III (Robbie) (leukemia victim)
Toomey, Richard & Mary - son Patrick (leukemia victim)
Zona, Joan - son Michael (leukemia victim)
Attorneys
(for plaintiffs)
Conway, Kevin - worked for Mulligan & Reed, with Jan Schlichtmann
Mulligan, Joe - originally took case, passed it to Schlichtmann who was working for M&R at the time.
Roisman, Anthony - rep.
Senior partner at Foley, Hoag, & Eliot.
Facher, Jerome (May, 1982): for Beatrice.