State of Indiana V. Ford Motor Company revisited

In 1980, a jury returned “not guilty” verdicts on three counts of reckless homicide against the Ford Motor Company. The company was indicted when three girls were killed after their Ford Pinto burst into flames following a rear impact collision. This paper re-examines the consequences of this landmark case involving corporate wrongdoing from the perspectives of the participants 20 years later. Interviews were conducted with 22 individuals directly involved with the litigation, as well as with insightful observers and experts. The lasting impact of this case is demonstrated through its influence on the development of corporate liability, even though the company was found “not guilty.”