Tragic indifference : one man's battle with the auto industry over the dangers of SUVs / Adam L. Penenberg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Penenberg, Adam L.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Products liability--Automobiles--United States.

Products liability.

Sport utility vehicles--Defects--Law and legislation--United States.

Sport utility vehicles.

Products liability--Automobiles.

United States.

Physical Description:

viii, 342 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : HarperBusiness, [2003]

Summary:

Two hundred and three people died in Ford Explorers when their Firestone Wilderness AT tires unexpectedly shredded on hot pavement and caused the luxurious trucks to flip over. Tragic Indifference tells the story of lawyer Tab Turner, who repeatedly took on -- and defeated -- one of the largest and most powerful corporations in the world and forced them to make a dramatic bedside apology to Donna Bailey, a quadriplegic whose injuries were the result of an Explorer rollover.

After the shocking crash statistics came to the public's notice, Ford attempted to pin the blame on Firestone's faulty tires, until Firestone rebutted that Ford had forced them to produce a cheaper, more dangerous tire, suggesting that Ford ignored the advice of their own engineers. This is a comprehensive look at one of the most notorious corporate scandals of our time, a sweeping narrative that is a courtroom drama, history lesson, journalistic investigation, and tale of human triumph all in one.

Contents:

1. Blood Highway 14

2. Bronco Buster 21

3. Paper Chaser 32

4. $25 Million Verdict 41

5. The Explorer Club 49

6. KHOU-TV 55

7. Broadcast News 63

8. Speed Bump 70

9. Chain of Custody 84

10. Angels in the ICU 91

11. Slow Leak 96

12. Faith 109

13. Tire Sleuth 114

14. The War Room 123

15. Recall 131

16. Media Maven 137

17. The Whistle-blower 143

18. Safety Triumvirate 160

19. Crisis 178

20. Gag 190

21. Death by a Thousand Stab Wounds 203

22. Moses 221

23. Help Wanted 233

24. Crash Test Human 241

25. Sip and Puff 246

26. Fee Fight 253

27. Forward Fast 259

28. Driver Error 263

29. 'X' 273

30. Ghosts in the Machines 276

31. Terms of Surrender 282

32. Seven-Percent Solution 287

33. The Letter 292.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [300]-328) and index.

ISBN:

0060090588

OCLC:

53038092