Tragic Indifference: One Man's Battle with the Auto Industry Over the Dangers of SUVs by Adam L. Penenberg ISBN: 0060090588 Subtitle: One Man's Battle with the Auto Industry Over the Dangers of SUVs Publisher: HarperBusiness Tragic Indifference is the gut-wrenching account of the biggest product liability case in history: the Ford-Firestone fiasco, where delaminating Firestone tires caused Ford Explorers to lose control and crash at highway speeds. The result was a massive recall, consumer panic and congressional hearings. It all culminated in a lawsuit that would become a watershed for all future auto safety lawsuits. At the center of the story is Tab Turner, a charismatic trial attorney from Arkansas, who has made a career out of forcing Ford and other automakers to own up to their unsafe practices and to admit that they knowingly trade human lives for profits. Given the almost complete lack of government regulation over the auto industry, Turner has become, in essence, the court of last resort for victims of callous auto companies. Tragic Indifference also recounts the struggles of Turner's client Donna Bailey, a single mother and outdoor enthusiast who led troubled teens on backpacking trips, as she fought back from the brink of death to confront those ultimately responsible for her accident. Her case became a benchmark for all others that followed. More than a courtroom drama, Tragic Indifference reveals the web of individual stories beneath the national headlines. Weaving together harrowing depictions of the accidents and their consequences with the stories of men and women who labor to police the auto industry and its reckless cost-cutting, Tragic Indifference will transform the way you view the government, the courts and the media. Above all, this book shows the price the public pays in wrecked and mangled lives when companies focus more on shaving costs than making quality products. "Gripping...all the elements of a Hollywood thriller." Mother Jones "A comprehensive and disturbing book." Publishers Weekly "A-list actresses are jostling for the part of [Donna] Bailey." Rush & Molloy, New York Daily News "A comprehensive look at a notorious corporate scandal." Booklist "A dramatic account...important, infuriating." The Boston Globe "Penenberg meticulously marches the reader through a human and journalistic drama... [and] invites you to feel the sweat, the exhaustion, the fear, the frustration and the pain of all concerned." USA Today "A swift, dramatic account... Penenberg fills the narrative with rich, detailed characters." San Francisco Chronicle "Gripping... Penenberg deftly [weaves] together the narratives of victims, lawyers and corporate officers alike... Comprehensive." New York Law Journal Click here for review excerpts. 1 in 2,700 Ford Explorers built between 1990 and 2001 has suffered a fatal rollover. 1 in 500 Ford Bronco IIs -the Explorer's predecessor - has tipped over and killed someone. The company manufactured vehicles that were dangerously unstable, trading consumer lives for gigantic profit. Ford convinced Firestone to manufacture a lightweight passenger tire for a two-ton truck marketed to families. Between 1994 and 2001, Firestone cut corners and hid safety defects in tires offered as standard equipment on the nation's most popular SUV. Ford recalled Firestone tires in a dozen countries months before it recalled them in its biggest market: the United States. Almost 300 people died and hundreds more were critically injured when Firestone tires unraveled on Ford Explorers. More than 1,000 lawsuits have been filed. Seven out of 10 Explorer accidents don't involve Firestone tires. There are an estimated 3 million Explorers still on the road today.