ny times magazine entitled the lawyer who became dupont's worst nightmare

by Sigrid Legros Sr. 8 min read

Harry Deitzler, a plaintiff's lawyer in West Virginia... [said] ''Before that letter, corporations could rely upon the public misperception that if a chemical was dangerous, it was regulated. ''... The letter led, four years later,...to DuPont's reaching a $16.5 million settlement...

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Jan 06, 2016 · The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare. Rob Bilott was a corporate defense attorney for eight years. Then he took on an environmental suit that would upend his entire career — and ...

How much did Rob Bilott make from DuPont settlement?

$671 million dollars
His litigation efforts yielded more than $671 million dollars in damages for approximately 3,500 people. DuPont also settled with the EPA, agreeing to pay a mere $16.5 million fine for failure to disclose their findings about C8, a toxin that is now estimated to be present in 98 percent of the world's population.Jul 12, 2021

Is Rob Bilott still suing DuPont?

Bilott is known for the lawsuits against DuPont on behalf of plaintiffs from West Virginia. Bilott has spent more than twenty years litigating hazardous dumping of the chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).
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Robert Bilott
Spouse(s)Sarah Barlage ​ ( m. 1996)​
Children3
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What happened with the DuPont lawsuit?

Corteva, formerly the agricultural division of DowDuPont, was spun off in 2019. Chemours sued DuPont in 2019, claiming that DuPont's liability estimates were “spectacularly wrong.” The case was dismissed in 2020 over procedural issues.Jan 22, 2021

Who was the lawyer that sued DuPont over Teflon?

recently split into the trio of publicly traded companies. Dubbed by The New York Times Magazine as “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare” in an article published on Jan. 6, 2016, Bilott has represented a diverse array of clients, nationwide, who have been harmed by PFAS substances.Jan 26, 2021

Is Rob Bilott still with Taft?

It wouldn't surprise anyone that a lawyer dogged as Bilott is continuing the same work. He remains at the same law firm he began at, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, having become a partner back in 1998.Nov 22, 2019

Was dark waters a true story?

Dark Waters mostly stays true to the real story

"Dark Waters" is extremely accurate when compared to the true events, which makes it all the more upsetting. The script is based on the 2016 New York Times article "The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare," written by journalist Nathaniel Rich.
May 31, 2021

Did Wilbur Tennant get a settlement?

Wilbur Tennant and his wife, Sandra, won a legal settlement from DuPont two years ago after they accused the company of sickening their family and killing their cattle by dumping C8 into a landfill near their farm.

Is C8 in my blood?

According to a 2007 study, C8 is in the blood of 99.7% of Americans. It's called a "forever chemical" because it never fully degrades.Jan 7, 2020

What laws did DuPont break?

In a joint complaint filed on Oct. 13, the United States, on behalf of the EPA, and the state of Texas alleged DuPont and PMNA violated hazardous waste, air and water environmental laws at the PMNA Sabine River chemical manufacturing facility in Orange, Texas.Oct 14, 2021

Is PFOA in my blood?

Studies show that human exposure to PFOA is widespread, and that most people in the U.S. have PFOA in their blood. It is unlikely that anyone, even if they did not drink contaminated water, will have a level of “zero” PFOA in their blood.

What is Teflon today?

Teflon has been used since the 1940s and it's found in everything from heat lamp bulbs to fabric protectors. It has industrial, automotive, and pharmaceutical applications. There's a good chance that you have plenty of Teflon-coated products in your home right now.Nov 13, 2020

How much did Wilbur Tennant get from DuPont?

In a follow-up case in 2017, he won a $671 million settlement on behalf of more than 3,500 plaintiffs in personal-injury claims against DuPont. And here's where the story could end, the hero with his fist aloft.Feb 28, 2020

Who sold Dupont land?

Jim Tennant and his wife, Della, sold DuPont a 66-acre tract of land that became part of the Dry Run Landfill. Credit Bryan Schutmaat for The New York Times

Where is Dupont's chemical site?

The chemical site near Parkersburg, W.Va., source of the waste at the center of the DuPont class-action lawsuit. Credit Bryan Schutmaat for The New York Times

Who is Rob Bilott?

Rob Bilott was a corporate defense attorney for eight years. Then he took on an environmental suit that would upend his entire career — and expose a brazen, decades-long history of chemical pollution.

How many cows did Wilbur Tennant have?

Wilbur Tennant explained that he and his four siblings had run the cattle farm since their father abandoned them as children. They had seven cows then. Over the decades they steadily acquired land and cattle, until 200 cows roamed more than 600 hilly acres. The property would have been even larger had his brother Jim and Jim’s wife, Della, not sold 66 acres in the early ’80s to DuPont. The company wanted to use the plot for a landfill for waste from its factory near Parkersburg, called Washington Works, where Jim was employed as a laborer. Jim and Della did not want to sell, but Jim had been in poor health for years, mysterious ailments that doctors couldn’t diagnose, and they needed the money.

How did the lawyer become Dupont's worst nightmare?

USA: Lawyer “became DuPont’s worst nightmare” by uncovering toxic pollution, seeking to hold it accountable Wilbur Tennantsaid that his cows were dying (3) …

Who was Dupont's worst nightmare?

The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare – Rob Bilott was a corporate defense attorney for eight years. Then he took on an environmental suit that (31) …

How long was Rob Bilott a corporate defense attorney?

Nov 25, 2019 – Rob Bilott was a corporate defense attorney for eight years. Then he took on an environmental suit that would upend his entire career — and (18) …

Who wrote the article about Robert Bilott?

Nov 21, 2019 — Journalist Nathaniel Rich wrote about Robert Bilott in a New York Times Magazine article titled “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare. (34) …

Who is Rob Bilott?

Nov 25, 2019 — Rob Bilott, a corporate lawyer-turned-environmental crusader, doesn’t much care if he’s made enemies over the years. “I’ve been dealing with (20) …

How much did Dupont settle for?

USA: DuPont settles 3550 claims over illnesses linked to pollution for $671 million

Is Dupont a merger with Dow Chemical?

DuPont, which is currently negotiating a merger with Dow Chemical, last year...[spun off] its chemical businesses...into a new corporation called Chemours....[which] has replaced PFOA with similar…compounds designed to biodegrade more quickly... Like PFOA, these new substances have not come under any regulation from the E.P.A. ...Chemours [says]...: ‘‘A significant body of data demonstrates that these alternative chemistries can be used safely.’’

How long was Rob Bilott a lawyer?

Rob Bilott was a corporate defense attorney for eight years. Then he#N#took on an environmental suit that would upend his entire career —#N#and expose a brazen, decades-long history of chemical pollution.

How many cows did Wilbur Tennant have?

Wilbur Tennant explained that he and his four siblings had run the cattle farm since their father abandoned them as children. They had seven cows then. Over the decades they steadily acquired land and cattle, until 200 cows roamed more than 600 hilly acres. The property would have been even larger had his brother Jim and Jim’s wife, Della, not sold 66 acres in the early ’80s to DuPont. The company wanted to use the plot for a landfill for waste from its factory near Parkersburg, called Washington Works, where Jim was employed as a laborer. Jim and Della did not want to sell, but Jim had been in poor health for years, mysterious ailments that doctors couldn’t diagnose, and they needed the money.