The Ford Pinto Case - When Corporate Negligence Leads to Death

We all trust manufacturers to only sell things that are safe. They'd never purposefully put something on the market they knew could hurt us, right? 

Enter the Ford Pinto. A car that was created to be so affordable, ANYONE could buy it. To make the car so affordable, however, certain things were sacrificed in the product's design. Now, I'm not talking just aesthetic components were sacrificed; SAFETY components were also sacrificed. The Pinto would explode when rear-ended. While car fires and explosions are not unheard of, students will learn about the evidence uncovered in this case that would set the basis for Ford losing a massive lawsuit. 

Students will learn about products liability under a theory of negligence. They will be able to apply the details of the case in order to analyze how the jury arrived at its decision. Students will also be able to discuss their personal thoughts and feelings on the details of the case and the outcome. 

My goal is to make this class 50% "lecture" and 50% discussion. Please keep in mind that this ratio may change depending on the group of students. If the students do not wish to discuss very much, it will be mostly lecture-style. If the group wishes to discuss more, I will allow more time for discussion, but the class would still be 40-45% lecture, as this case study is being used to teach products liability and negligence.