o delay the implementation of automotive safety standards, including those relating to school-bus safety. In 1971, President of Ford Motor at the time, Lee Iacocca, was known to have lobbied President Richard Nixon to put off costly new rules for cars. He was quoted as saying, Safety has really killed all of our business. He could have also been lobbying for the Ford Pinto, which was surrounded by much controversy due to the placement of its gas tank. The standard requiring that school bus gas tanks be protected against collisions finally went into force on April 1st, 1977. The Ford/Superior B-700 that was involved in the accident wasnt completed until June 28th, 1977. But due to the fact that the chassis was completed on March 23rd it was completely all right. The National Transportation Safety Board urged that school bus fuel tanks be relocated away from the exit doors, and be better shielded. Five years later, Ford was still building buses with tanks unguarded, outside the frame rail, right beside the exit door. Six weeks after the crash, before a single lawsuit had been filed, Ford initiated settlement talks with a Radcliff law firm representing most of the victims families. The settlements reportedly promised $700,000 for each death, with payment on a sliding scale for the injured, as well as a $500,000 fund to help fight drunk driving (Kunen, 94). The families of sixty-four passengers quickly accepted. Although they decided to settle Ford never admitted responsibility.Larry and Janey Fair, who lost their twelve-year-old daughter in the crash, declined the settlement and filed suit in Carroll County Circuit Court. Their complaint against Ford Motor Company sought punitive damages, alleging that Ford had acted recklessly, willfully, and wantonly, consciously disregarding the danger they were creating, when they placed an unshielded fuel tank next to the front door of the bus (Kunen, 149). They settled one hundred fifty-ni...
