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Erin starts working at the firm Masry and Vititoe
Erin has recently been injured in a traffic accident with a doctor and is suing him. Her lawyer is Ed Masry. After losing her case and several attempts to contact Ed at his office with no reply, he arrives at work to find her in the office, appearing to do work. She says that she needs a job. He feels bad for her, and decides to give her a try at the office. -
Erin is given real-estate files
Erin is given files for a real-estate case where Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) is offering to purchase the home of Hinkley, California, resident Donna and Peter Jensen. -
Erin visits Donna Jensen
Erin is surprised to see medical records in the file and visits Donna, who explains that she had simply kept all her PG&E correspondence together. Donna appreciates PG&E's help: she has had several tumors and her husband has Hodgkin's disease, but PG&E has always supplied a doctor at their own expense. Erin asks why they would do that, and Donna replies, "because of the chromium". -
Erin begins digging into the case
She finds evidence that the groundwater in Hinkley is contaminated with carcinogenic hexavalent chromium, but PG&E has been telling Hinkley residents that they use a safer form of chromium. -
Erin meets Dr. Frankel from UCLA
This toxicologist explains Erin the different problems that come from hexavalent chromium exposure. -
Erin goes to Lahontan Regional Water Board
In this water board, there are documents and records that exlain the water of Hinkley is polluted with hexavalent Chromium. She makes a copy of these files. -
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Ed goes to Erin's house
Ed tells her that the level of Chromium found in the tests could be responsible for the Jensen's health problems. She continues with her investigation and informs Donna and other families about her discoveries. -
PG&E Claim Department wants to arrange a meeting with the firm
The representative of the claim department is Mr. Foil, a very young man who wants to scare Ed and Erin saying that PG&E is a 2 billion dollar corporation. -
Erin persuades Ed to allow her to do further research
Erin wins the trust of many Hinkley residents. She finds many cases of tumors and other medical problems in that area. All the famlies agree to be represented by the firm. -
Erin starts to find evidence
She takes samples of water and dead animals from places near the PG&E factory.
When she is in her house working on the documents, she receives a call threating her and her family. -
Ed makes inquiries with other firms
The lawyer wants to share the expenses with other firms -
A judge takes his decision
Leroy Simmons, the judge, decides that the causes of action against PG&E are upheld -
Ed presents their new partner, Kurt Potter
The new partner will handle Hinkley and will finance the expenses of the case -
Ed takes the opportunity to arrange for disposition by binding arbitration
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Erin persuades all 634 plaintiffs to go along with binding arbitration
Erin and Ed go door-to-door in order to get the plaintiffs signed -
Charles Embry tells Erin he was in charge of destroying documents at PG&E
He noticed the medical conditions plaguing the workers and kept the documents instead. He then gives the documents to her. A 1966 memo proves corporate headquarters knew the water was contaminated with hexavalent chromium, did nothing about it, and advised the Hinkley operation to keep this secret. -
The judge orders PG&E to pay a settlement amount of $333 million to be distributed among the plaintiffs
Erin continues working with Ed after they win this case
