Between 1978 and 1981, manufacturers of the DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine were sued nine times, with the suits alleging that the vaccine was responsible for childhood disabilities and developmental delays. However, by the mid 1980s, the number of lawsuits rose to over 200 per year, destabilizing the DTP vaccine market and causing two of the three manufacturers to withdraw. The remaining manufacturer estimated its liability at more than 200 times its annuai sales. The decision of the manufacturers to withdraw from the market in the face of the huge potential liability is best described as which type of risk management method? loss reduction loss prevention risk transfer risk avoidance