Episode Information

Carlos, a Honduran construction worker, got his leg mangled in a rock crusher. He will never be able to do physical labour again. His lawyer seeks a few million dollars in damages. Barbara, an anaesthesiologist, developed severe latex allergy from the use of latex gloves. She takes medicine but could easily die from any exposure to latex. Her lawsuit is part of a mass tort in which hundreds of latex allergy victims join forces in one product liability case. Massive amounts of litigation and million-dollar claims characterise the legal system of the United States. The morals of this American legal trade are not undisputed. The popular image in Europe is one of clogged courts, sue-happy citizens and greedy lawyers. Neutral but persistent, this film uncovers the roots of what drives the American system, and what could be in store for European legal practices in the years to come.