num_pages: 502
description: A Civil Action is a non-fiction book by Jonathan Harr about a water contamination case in Woburn, Massachusetts, in the 1980s. After finding that her child is diagnosed with leukemia, Anne Anderson notices a high prevalence of leukemia, a relatively rare disease, in her city. Eventually she gathers other families and seeks a lawyer, Jan Schlichtmann, to consider their options.Schlichtmann originally decides not to take the case due to both the lack of evidence and a clear defendant. 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. He spends lavishly as he had in his prior lawsuits, but the length of the discovery process and trial stretch all of their assets to their limit.
language: English
title: A Civil Action
titlecomplete: A Civil Action
genres: Environment, Law, Science, School, Crime, Legal Thriller, Mystery, Nonfiction, True Crime, History
ratings_count: 15953
awards: awardedAt: 788947200000
name: National Book Critics Circle Award
category: General Nonfiction, awardedAt: 820483200000
name: American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award
category: Books, awardedAt: 788947200000
name: National Book Award Finalist
category: Nonfiction
publisher: Vintage