The Division of Consumer Protection of the Office of the Attorney General, created in 1971, is empowered to investigate consumer complaints, initiate and prosecute civil actions, and warn consumers about deceptive sales practices. There is also a Utility Regulatory Commission that regulates the business of public utilities, including rates and environmental compliance plans.
In 1980, the first criminal prosecution of an American corporation because of alleged product defects was brought against the Ford Motor Co. at Winamac. A jury found the company not guilty of reckless homicide in a rear-end collision involving a Pinto automobile in which three young women were killed.