Reference no: EM133330259

Assignment:

In 1978, Firestone was accused of making an unsafe tire. Consumer agencies, congressional hearings, and federal agencies all put pressure on Firestone to recall the tires. Firestone held a 23% market share in the US. It has been the first to market with US-made steel belted radials. It was under pressure from the French and the Japanese. Firestone's tires were standard equipment on nearly 70% of all new autos. To be the first to market, it merely modified it production procedure for its previous make of tires. From the beginning, there were problems with adhesion-the rubber on the tire peeled away from the frame. It introduced a new adhesive, but the problem persisted. It introduced a new production process, but the problem persisted. Under the pressure of lawsuits and government actions, Firestone recalled 10 million of its tires at a cost of $135 million.

1. Discuss the issue of causal responsibility of Firestone for any deaths and damage due to their tires.

2. What theory of moral responsibility was Firestone using? Explain this theory and show how it applies.

3. What theory of moral responsibility ought to apply in this case? Support your answer.

What aggrevating or mitigatging conditions were present? How do they increase or decrease responsibility?