Today, more and more corporations are recognizing the importance of putting people over profits. This means leaders are understanding that profits come secondary to the value of employees and customers, putting respect, care, and kindness first. The idea is that when employees feel valued, they work harder, with more integrity, and their passions increase significantly. When customers respect the value’s of a corporation, they will increase their loyalties, resulting in long-term customers for the corporations. When they are transparent, authentic, and generous, it helps both employees and customers understand the brand’s value, forming a more stable relationship between all three parties, with profits increasing as a secondhand result.
Unfortunately, not all companies have adhered to this idea, instead, valuing profits over people. Corporations running under this mentality often lie and take advantage of consumers. Today, consumers are paying attention to a brand’s value, and CEO’s are recognizing this, which is why the corporate apology has become so common amongst corporations caught in unethical acts. These apologies do not reflect a sense of humility amongst CEO’s, rather an understanding that apologizing is a good strategy to maintain a good image. At times, these corporations deliver hollow apologies instead of taking responsibility for their actions. Fortunately, when corporations do not hold themselves accountable for their mistakes, the civil justice system can ensure that they will be held accountable for their misconduct.
The following are a few examples of corporations putting profits over people, provided by the American Association for Justice.
General Motors/Takata
The Takata exploding airbag scandal has been one of GM’s biggest. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration’s September 2017 analysis, nearly 20 million GM vehicles that were recalled are still on the road, and more than 4 million airbags that were replaced have to be replaced again because they still were not operating properly. These faulty airbags have caused 24 deaths and 266 injuries worldwide, the majority occurring in the United States. Instead of taking accountability for the issue, GM filed three petitions attempting to avoid recalling their vehicles. By doing so, they would save one billion dollars, clearly showing where their values align. Our attorneys are ready to handle a variety of product liability cases, similar to this one. When consumers are injured due to negligent behavior from a manufacturer or distributor, Spiros Law P.C. can get you the compensation you deserve. Reach out to our manufacturing defect attorneys to see how they can help you.
Monsanto
One of Monsanto’s most popular products, Roundup, has also been one of their biggest problems. The company worked to influence scientific research in regards to the product, going as far as ghostwriting reports to persuade the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Health and Human Services to not categorize the product as a carcinogenic. The product was then labeled a “probable carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), until 2018 when lawmakers threatened to cut funding for IARC due to the categorization. In August 2018, Dewayne Johnson, was awarded 289 million in damages after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. As a school groundskeeper, he sprayed up to 150 gallons of Roundup on the school sports field. He was told the product was safe, and Monsanto provided no warning labels, essentially hiding the damages of the product. When a company fails to provide warning labels on a product that has caused you harm, you are entitled to receive compensation. If you have been impacted negatively by a defective product, check out our product liability attorneys to see how they can assist you.
USA Gymnastics/Michigan State University
Larry Nassar, a USA Gymnastics team doctor and osteopathic physician at Michigan State, sexually assaulted hundreds of his female patients. Both institutions were supposed to protect the young people they represented, instead, they turned a blind eye, allowing the abuse to continue for decades. It is stated that 14 MSU employees were aware of the abuse but did nothing to stop it. The sexual assault attorneys at Spiros Law, P.C. understand the extreme mental anguish that victims of sexual assault are experiencing, and will do whatever it takes to protect you and get you the compensation you deserve. If you have experienced sexual assault, contact our compassionate sexual assault attorneys to speak about your unique situation.
These three examples show that some corporations and institutions will not act in the public’s best interest unless someone forces them to. Corporations and institutions, no matter the size, need to be held accountable for their deception and negligence, and our experienced attorneys are ready to fight on your behalf. At Spiros Law P.C., our client’s best interest is always put first. If you have been negatively impacted by a company valuing profits over people, contact Spiros Law, P.C. today at (815) 929-9292 in order to get the compensation and protection you deserve.
