The recall of Ford Pintos only came about after news reports of the cars' propensity to explode in flames after rear-end accidents had caused sales of the car to take a dramatic nosedive. That, when combined with the verdicts that were starting to be handed down against Ford, finally turned the company's attention to its bottom line: profitability. Prior to the crash that killed the Ulrichs, a California judge had awarded $6.3 million to a youth who suffered burns in a Pinto crash. Fifty or so other lawsuits were pending as well. In a pending criminal action filed in relation to the Ulrich accident, prosecutor Michael Consentino hoped to prove that Ford officials knew of the likelihood that early Pinto gas tanks may rupture after a rear-end collision. Rather than install a part costing $6.65 to help prevent such an occurrence, Consentino believed that company...