A Civil Action: Story of Unethical People and Organizations

“A Civil Action”
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“A Civil Action”
“A Civil Action” is one of the films that have an accurate description of a civil lawsuit. According to the film, most organizations disregard ethical standards in their operation and only have little sense of right and wrong actions. Although the core objective in organizations is to make profits, business ethics is a fundamental requirement to ensure that they have a good reputation among customers and to the general public. Therefore, organizations and individuals alike should adhere to the set ethical standards. Jan Schlichtmann is one of the moral entities as an attorney in the case that involves contamination of a water aquifer, thus causing leukemia and cancer in the community (Zaillian, 1998). Kathleen Quinlan asks the well-established lawyer to take legal action regarding the case against a company that caused the pollution. Although the lawyer was reluctant to handle the case, he accepts it after realizing he could make proceeds for suing the investors in the company. The film, “A Civil Action” depicts ethical and unethical individuals in the society based on the set standards.
Unethical Entities
According to utilitarianism theory, W.R Grace and Company, Beatrice Foods, and Jerry Facher (Beatrice attorney) are the primary entities who acted fraudulently in “A Civil Action” film. According to MacKendrick (2018), W.R Grace caused pollution by releasing non-biodegradable products to the surrounding water bodies. The act of the company emitting pollutants without considering the impact of such contaminants is unethical and compromised the health of the residents of the local community. In the film, it is apparent that the company only focuses on profit maximization without considering the impact of its activities on the environment and others living in the surrounding areas.
Besides, Beatrice Foods acted against the set ethical standards by releasing harmful products to the water bodies that served the people of Woburn. As a result, several children contracted leukemia while others succumbed to death. In such a case, the families of the affected children claimed that the corporation caused pollution on city-owned wells, thus, resulting in their children’s ill condition (MacKendrick, 2018). Besides, the families claimed that Beatrice Foods caused an increase in central nervous system disorders and liver illness among the consumers of Woburn. The company ignored its corporate social responsibility and set environmental ethics, thus, resulting in far-reaching social and ecological catastrophes.
Furthermore, Jerry Facher, as Beatrice Foods’ attorney, ignored ethical standar...