For Want of a Nail: Mass Tort Fraud and the American Conscience

For Want of a Nail: Mass Tort Fraud and the American Conscience tells the true story of Craig Smith, the vilified ex-CEO of Raymark Corporation, and a devout Mormon, who stood up to the tort plaintiff's bar as they sought to destroy his company through fraudulent claims of harm from asbestos. Smith exposed the fraud by refusing to settle cases for anything but a nominal amount, forcing the hand of plaintiffs' attorneys in actual jury trials. In over 6000 claims against Raymark, only 13 ended in verdicts against the company. For Want of a Nail: Mass Tort Fraud and the American Conscience searches for the root cause of the abandonment of conscience in American law and business, of which the asbestos debacle is only a symptom. The author's search as to what is missing leads to the Founding Fathers' view of virtue and to the missing nail, captured in Shakespeare's immortal words, "to thine own self be true".