What is Erin Brockovich Net Worth and How She Became Famous?

Erin Brockovich, an American paralegal, consumer advocate, and environmental activist, helped attorney Ed Masry in 1993. They established a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Company for groundwater poisoning in Hinkley, California. Erin Brockovich, an Oscar-winning film starring Julia Roberts as Brockovich and Albert Finney as Masry, was based on their winning case.

Since then, Brockovich has gained popularity in the media as the host of the television series Challenge America with Erin Brockovich and the Zone Reality television series Final Justice.

She also consults for Shine Lawyers in Australia and the New York legal practice of Weitz & Luxenberg, which specializes in asbestos-related personal injury lawsuits. She was a consultant for Girardi & Keese, a California law practice that is no longer in operation.

Erin Brockovich Net Worth 2024

Erin Brockovich net worth is estimated to be at $10 million. In 1996, the Pacific Gas & Electric Company case reached a $333 million settlement, which at the time was the highest amount ever given in a direct-action lawsuit in American history.

The plot became the basis for the 2000 motion picture Erin Brockovich. Julia Roberts played Erin in the movie. In 2006, Erin Brockovich's other case was settled for $335 million.

Personal Life

From her first marriage to Shawn Brown, Brockovich had a daughter named Katie and a son named Matthew. She had a daughter named Elizabeth from her second marriage to Steven Brockovich. Actor and country music DJ Eric L. Ellis was her third husband.

In 1996, Brockovich used her US$2.5 million award following the Hinkley settlement to buy a home in Agoura Hills, California.

Early Life

Erin Brockovich was born in Lawrence on June 22, 1960. Frank Pattee, her father, was an industrial engineer, and her mother was a journalist. She is the sister of two brothers.

She enrolled at Kansas State University after her graduation from Lawrence High School, then moved to Wade College in Dallas, where she earned an Associate in Applied Arts degree.

PG&E Case

When Brockovich came out against PG&E in 1993 after discovering a widespread, inconceivable disease in the California hamlet of Hinkley, she became known as an investigator. She played a crucial role in the town's lawsuit against the utility corporation.

PG&E used hexavalent chromium in a cooling tower system to combat corrosion between 1952 and 1966. The wastewater was dumped into open ponds on the property, and part of it seeped into the soil, damaging a region close to the factory that was about two square miles in size. The PG&E site was subject to rules set forth by the RWQCB in 1968.

The case was settled for $333 million in 1996, which will be worth $6666.6 million in 2024. At the time, it was the highest settlement paid in a direct-action lawsuit in US history.

Other Cases

In 2003, Brockovich filed a lawsuit saying that her Agoura Hills, California, had poisonous mold in her house. She was compensated $430,000 by two parties and an undisclosed sum by a third party for her claims of mould contamination in her own Conejo Valley property. Brockovich went on to become well-known in the community as an activist and teacher.

In 2003, Brockovich and Masry claimed the Beverly Hills Unified School board, claiming that the board had allowed a contractor to run several oil wells on campus, endangering the health and safety of its kids. The school system said in May 2007 that it would get $450,000 in payment for legal fees.

Television and Movies

Erin Brockovich movie cast: A 2000 feature film starring Julia Roberts as the lead character focused on Brockovich's efforts to bring legal action against Pacific Gas & Electric. Five Academy Awards were on the shortlist for the movie: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Best Writing.

Julia Robert was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Erin Brockovich. In a brief cameo appearance, Brockovich played a waiter named Julia.

Brockovich played a more prominent role in the 2012 movie Last Call at the Oasis, which examined water contamination and the general situation of water shortages in relation to US water policy.

Awards

Erin Brockovich Books

Take It from Me: Life's a Struggle, But You Can Win, Brockovich's first book, was released in 2001. Superman's Not Coming, the second book, was published on August 25, 2020. According to Brockovich's 2021 article, hormone-disrupting chemicals are dangerously reducing human fertility.

In an essay published on February 8, 2022, Brockovich discussed the story of Steven Donziger, a lawyer who succeeded in winning a $18 billion judgment against Chevron but was imprisoned for contempt of court after refusing to give his computer and phone to Chevron's legal team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Today, what is Erin Brockovich up to?

She founded the Erin Brockovich Foundation to support communities in their struggle for clean water. She serves as president of her own study and consulting organization and hosts her podcast.

Q. Is there still contamination in Hinkley, CA?

In California, the only state with a chromium standard, the typical Cr-6 levels for healthy water in Hinkley remained rising at 100 times the maximum contamination level (MCL) acceptable as of 2019.

Q. Is Erin Brockovich and Jorge still together?

Although Erin and Jorge parted ways, he remained in her life. To give Erin more time to focus on her career, the law firm paid him to be employed as a live-in nanny full-time for her kids for several years.