A civil Action
1. Read chapter 4 and page 612 – 613 and page 560 (on product liability and tort law) before you begin this assignment
2. Watch the movie “A Civil Action”.
Note: Amazon, Google Play, VUDU, Playstation, and Microsoft Movie all stream this video.
3. Write 2-3 pages reaction paper include Part A & Part B.
Note: Part A should take up 2/3 of the paper with Part B only taking up the remaining 1/3 of your paper.
Part A
The movie “A Civil Action” gives us a fictional account of the real legal case pertaining to the hazardous waste site that affected the children in the community of Woburn, Mass. The movie not only provides a description of the Woburn disaster but also an introduction to the issues surrounding environmental justice.
What were the elements of negligence in this movie ? What were some of the legal defenses employed? What were some of the legal and factual problems in the case?
Part B
Choose one of the following quotes and explain what the character(s) mean in the movie and what it means to you.
What does the tag line “Justice has a price?” mean to you?
Jerome Facher: What’s your take?
Jan Schlichtmann: They’ll see the truth.
Jerome Facher: The truth? I thought we were talking about a court of law. Come on, you’ve been around long enough to know that a courtroom isn’t a place to look for the truth.
Jan Schlichtmann: It’s like this. A dead plaintiff is rarely worth more than a living severely-maimed plaintiff. However, if it’s a long slow agonizing death as opposed to a quick drowning or car wreck, the value can rise considerably. A dead adult in his 20’s is generally worth less than one who is middle aged. A dead woman less than a dead man. A single adult less than one who’s married. Black less than white. Poor less than rich. The perfect victim is a white male professional, 40 years old, at the height of his earning power, struck down at his prime. And the most imperfect, well in the calculus of personal injury law, a dead child is worth the least of all.
Anne Anderson: It is not about the money