Breast Implantsthe Dow Corning Scandal Essay - 2372 Words

Abstract The subject of my paper will be an investigation into the manufacture of silicone breast implants by Dow Corning and what caused this scandal to become corporate crime. This subject is of special interest to me because my mother has been in litigation with Dow Corning since the late 1980s. I will use several research methods for development of this research paper. They will include researching books and the use of the internet. I believe that my findings will show that for more than thirty years Dow Corning manufactured and distributed an unsafe product with the knowledge that its recipients were being put in danger. Dow Corning then tried various evasive measures to escape from their liability. This is still a current†¦show more content†¦The first use of silicone was as a sealant for ignition systems on aircraft in World War II (Zimmermann, 1998, p. 22). It was in Japan after World War II that a Japanese doctor first began injecting womens breasts with silicone to enlarge them. Women often complained of serious complications after silicone injections including scarring, swelling, gangrene, infections and migrations of silicone to various other parts of their body (Zimmermann, 1998, p. 23). The beginning of Dow Corning`s fraudulent and immoral actions actually started during this time when actual silicone breast implants had not even been developed and only the injection of silicone into womens breasts was being done. In 1954, Dow Corning found that silica in silicone had a high order of toxicity and they were informed by scientist H.C. Spenser that silicone caused health problems and by scientist V.K. Rowe in 1955 that silicone spreads throughout the body and could cause organ damage (Melvin, 2003). One can see that Dow Corning knew as early as the mid-1950s that silicone could be a source of health problems and potentially unsafe, but even with that knowledge Dow Corning moved in the next stage of silicone enhancement of breasts, the actual manufacture of silicone breast implants. In the 1960sShow MoreRelatedEthics of Penn Square and Dow Corning Essay1652 Words   |  7 PagesEthics of Penn Square and Dow Corning Ethics of Penn Square Bank and the Dow Corning Bankruptcy Penn Square Bank: What were the ethical pressures on the firm concerning documentation, credit extension, and revenue recognition that lead to the final collapse? What should have been done to reduce or offset these pressures? Penn Square Bank was a small commercial bank in Oklahoma City which made high-risk financial loans during the late 1970s in the oil boom. The bank ultimately collapsedRead More Tobacco Companies in Our Society Essay2017 Words   |  9 Pagesfirm that directed the research for Imperial tobacco was called Burston and Marstellar a very corrupt and crooked public relations firm. Their credibility to the industry was shown in their involvement in worldwide scandals such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Dow Corning breast implant problems and various other crimes that needed to be kept secret. To acquire ‘lawful secrecy’ the projects were directed by lawyers. Almost all of the experiments would be under the supervision of these lawyers becauseRead MoreEnterprise Risk Management4038 Words   |  17 Pagescommittee effectiveness. Respondents, primarily chief financial officers and corporate controllers, ranked â€Å"key areas of business and financial risk† as most import ant for audit committee oversight. In light of events surrounding recent corporate scandals (e.g., Enron, etc.), and the increasing executive and regulatory focus on risk management, the percentage of companies with formal ERM methods is increasing and audit committees are becoming more involved in corporate oversight. The UK and CanadaRead MoreBlackmores Five Forece Analys6352 Words   |  26 Pagesmisinterpreted and sometimes leading on to crisis. Examples of such reputational damage would include Perrier’s benzene contamination crisis (Miller and Gleizes, 1990; Barton, 1991), Firestone’s ATX tyre recall (Blaney et al., 2002) and Dow Corning’s silicon breast implant issue (LaPlant, 1993). There have sadly also been many examples of â€Å"self inï ¬â€šicted† damage to an iconic brand, such as the disastrous introduction of â€Å"New Coke† (Pendergrast, 1993); protest over withdrawal of Nabisco’s famous Crown Pilot