What Erin Brokovich Knew or How One Person Can Make a Difference

Doubtless most people remember Julia Roberts in the movie Erin Brokovich. It was the story of how one woman, a legal assistant, worked with her law firm to win a $333 million dollar settlement in 1996 against Pacific Gas & Electric. It was the largest settlement ever paid in a direct lawsuit up to that point. Her story is an epic one of David verses Goliath. Her perseverance and tenacity showed all of us how one person can make a difference.

We are often asked, “Why do you do what you do”? It’s a good question considering that we attorneys are often ranked right up there with the Internal Revenue Service agent in the popularity polls (I think we are beaten out these days only by the investment broker!). In addition, attorneys are often criticized for the seemingly large amounts of settlement monies that they are paid as a result of class action lawsuits or personal injury cases. That’s one of the reasons why we decided to start this blog. We want to educate our readers, the general public as well as, tell our story and the stories of so many others who, against all odds, slew the giant. Yes, no doubt, there are egregious abuses in the legal process (as well as in every other profession and industry), however, you need only direct yourself to the “case facts” section of our website as a starting point to get a glimpse of some of the real stories behind the negative publicity of some high profile cases such as the McDonalds “Scalding Coffee” case. There you will find the nuts and bolts of the case that maybe weren’t sexy enough to report. If one wants to be truly educated and informed, one certainly needs to get “all” the facts reported to them accurately. Additionally, along the way, we will seek to offer insider secrets to those victims who think they have a case and advice to the attorneys who represent them.

If you would have told us ten years ago that we would be the first firm to win over a one billion dollar whistleblower settlement, we would have thought that suggestion to be the height of absurdity. But it really did happen and we learned a whole lot along the way! This blog is about what we learned in the process of that case and what we continue to learn every day. We also want to hear from you. Feel free to leave your comments (good or bad) or ask a question. We can also learn a whole lot from each other. We are honored that you have chosen to join us on this journey. Together, like Erin Brokovich, we can all make a difference.