Ford eventually recalled 1.4 million 1971-76 Pinto's for safety modifications ($11 per vehicle) under pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Over 100 lawsuits against Ford forced the auto maker to pay out millions of dollars in damages. One Example: In February of 1978, a California jury created a nationwide sensation when it awarded the record-breaking sum of $128 million in a lawsuit stemming from a Pinto accident. At least fifty-nine people burned to death in rear-end collisions."
According to Ford's estimates, unsafe tanks would cause 180 burn deaths, 180 serious burn injuries, and 2,100 burned vehicles each year. It calculated that it would have to pay $200,000 per death, $67,000 per injury, and $700 per vehicle, for a total of $49.5 million. However, the cost of saving lives and injuries ran even higher: alterations would cost $11 per car or truck, which added up to $137 million per year. Essentially, Ford argued before the government that it would be cheaper just to let their customers burn!
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