Silkwood v. Kerr-McGee

Plaintiff

Estate of Karen Silkwood

Defendant

Kerr-McGee Nuclear Company

Plaintiff's Claim

Damages for negligence leading to the plutonium contamination of Karen Silkwood.

Chief Lawyers for Plaintiff

Gerald Spence, Arthur Angel, James Ikard

Chief Defense Lawyers

Elliott Fenton, John Griffin, Jr., Larry D. Ottoway, William Paul, L. E. Stringer, Bill J. Zimmerman

Judge

Frank G. Theis

Place

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Date of Decision

18 March 1979

Decision

Defendant was found negligent and was ordered to pay $505,000 actual damages, $10 million punitive damages.

Related Cases

• Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., 418 U.S. 323 (1973).
• Pacific G&E Co. v. State Energy Res. C&D Com., 461 U.S. 190 (1983).

Sources

Paehlke, Robert, ed. Conservation and Environmentalism: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland, 1995.

Further Readings

• Kohn, Howard. Who Killed Karen Silkwood? New York: Summit, 1981.
• Rashke, Richard. The Killing of Karen Silkwood. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1981.
• "Silkwood Settlement." Science News, August 8, 1986, p. 134.
• Spence, Gerry. With Justice for None. New York: Times Books, 1989.
• Stein, J. "The Deepening Mystery." Progressive, January 1981, pp. 14-19.