Fighting corporate misconduct: A personal injury lawyer’s role_.

The Canadian civil justice system is the most powerful tool for holding corporations accountable when their actions have caused harm to others. As advocates for those who have been wronged, personal injury lawyers play an important role in rectifying cases of corporate misconduct.

In their 2018 report, the American Association for Justice (AAJ) accuses corporations of using the “sorry, not sorry” motto when apologizing to the victims of their greed. The recent incline in the number of corporate misconduct cases has created an urge for a corporate culture in which both the corporation and the consumer have similar regards and beliefs. In a perfect world, both would believe in putting people ahead of profits.

Here are a few examples of the most recent corporate wrongdoings that have made headlines around the world:

• In 2017, a passenger suffered serious injuries after he was violently removed from an airplane operated by United Airlines. Shortly thereafter, the airline attempted to apologize to those who were affected by the ordeal by promising they would introduce consumer-friendly tactics onboard. What most don’t know is that the airline was, at the same time, attempting to persuade the Department of Transportation to modify multiple regulations meant to protect its consumers. This suggests that consumers are not first on this large corporation’s list of priorities.
• In 2018, Johnson & Johnson was responsible for 11 of the top 17 manufacturer’s liability uproars. Faulty products included talc products that were contaminated with asbestos. These products were sent to department store shelves despite the company’s knowledge of the contamination. Johnson & Johnson was held liable for the ovarian cancer the plaintiffs developed due to the asbestos in their products. The American Association for Justice reports that the juries of these cases awarded a combined $600 million in compensatory damages and $4.2 billion in punitive damages against the company. This is the civil justice system’s attempt at ensuring that the consumers’ safety remains a top priority.
• In 2018, more than a decade after the first recall, General Motors/Takata estimated that they have recalled nearly 10 million faulty airbags over the past ten years. The faulty airbags in their vehicles have caused serious injuries and even death. In fact, worldwide, the airbags have been directly linked to 24 deaths and 266 incidents of serious injury. This company has since been found responsible for many of these occurrences.

These are only a few examples of corporate misconduct cases caused by the profit-driven motives of large multinational corporations. Motivated to reach targets and accumulate wealth, these corporations often compromise ethical and legal procedures and cause harm.

At MacGillivray Law, our lawyers believe in using litigation to help fight industry practices that are destructive to the environment and to provide a check and balance against the increasing power of multinational corporations and the concentration of wealth and power in an increasingly small number of people.

If you’ve been the victim of corporate misconduct, contact us today to set up a free consultation and find out how we can help.