Defective Firestone tires on Ford Explorers took the lives of at least 271 people and seriously injured many more before the companies issued the largest tire recall in history. Internal company documents would later show that the two corporations had known of the deadly tire separation and associated rollover problems for years but had done everything they could to hide it. They were undeterred by federal regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which only had the power to impose a maximum fine of $925,000.
sources: Michael Winerip, “Ford and Firestone Settle Suit Over Explorer Crash,” New York Times, January 9, 2001; Sara Nathan and Guillermo X. Garcia, “Ford Visit Led to Settlement,” USAToday, January 9, 2000; Cathy Booth Thomas, “A Nasty Turn for Ford?” TIME, January 7, 2001; Danny Hakim, “Another Recall Involving Ford, Firestone Tires And S.U.V.’s,” New York Times, February 27, 2004; “Firestone Recall Timeline,” CNNMoney, August 30, 2000; “Ford: A Crisis of Confidence,” BusinessWeek, September 18, 2000; Richmond Eustis, “Judge Orders Unsealing of Secret Firestone Documents From Fatal 1997 Crash,” Fulton County Daily Rep., September 29, 2000; James V. Grimaldi & Carrie Johnson, “Factory Linked To Bad Tires,” Washington Post, September 28, 2000; “Firestonewalling,” The Nation, September 27, 2000.
It was through the civil justice system that Donna Bailey was able to obtain some measure of justice. As part of her settlement, Ford agreed to release internal documents about the tire and rollover problems, and executives visited her to personally apologize.
Thanks to cases like that of Donna Bailey, the civil justice system publicly highlighted the problem and forced the companies and regulators to take action.