This lawsuit involved defective tires manufactured by the Firestone corporation in the 1970’s. The suit involved the Firestone 500 tire, which was marketed quite heavily by Sears and Firestone. Tire engineers in Akron, Ohio were aware that slight under-inflation of the tires caused irreparable damage. Despite that knowledge, the manufacturer failed to disclose the relationship between as little as 10% under-inflation and the separation of the 5-ply cords that were used in the radial tire. Despite the fact that nearly 100 people lost their lives as a consequence of the rapid air loss. Firestone claimed that the tire was defect-free and the corporation blamed the consumers for allowing the tires to be used while under-inflated. This trial was the first lawsuit, west of the Mississippi, where a jury returned a verdict against Firestone for the defective Firestone 500 tire. As a result of this case and the concurrent Congressional investigation, the tire was recalled from the United States. Sadly, the defective tires were later sold by Firestone to consumers in South America.