Unfortunately in November 2024, a tragic car crash in Wisconsin took the lives of five people aboard a Tesla Model S as per reports. Now the family of two of the victims has filed a lawsuit alleging that faulty door systems prevented escape from the burning vehicle, and they say the company knew about the risk. Moreover, they accuse Tesla of putting design convenience ahead of occupant safety. This case can cost Tesla big if claims against them win in court.
Allegations of a Design Flaw in Tesla
This massive lawsuit comes in as per the complaint filed in Dane County, Wisconsin, the plaintiffs reportedly say that the Model S sedan’s lithium ion battery pack triggered an electronic door system failure after the crash. Apparently, that feature is what they claim, allegedly left the occupants trapped inside as flames took over the vehicle.
Moreover, the contentious lawsuit states that one of the victims, a rear seat passenger, would have needed to lift the carpeting to reach a metal tab enabling escape which is allegedly a mechanism the family argues is not intuitive or accessible in an emergency. Moreover, the complaint also says that a nearby homeowner, responding to the crash, heard screaming from within the vehicle while the fire raged.
What are the Claims Against Tesla?
The case comes right in the middle of regulatory and legal pressure on Tesla’s door and handle design already going on. In September, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) disclosed a probe into possible defects in some Tesla door handles after reports of failures.
Henceforth, the Bauer children, who brought the lawsuit, allege that Tesla ‘made a conscious departure from known, feasible safety practices’ despite earlier fires, implying the company recognised the risk but did not act. They argue the automaker’s design choices created a ‘highly foreseeable risk’ that occupants who survived a crash would remain trapped in a burning vehicle.
What Tesla and the Lawsuit Are Saying
Tesla, headquartered in Austin, Texas and led by Elon Musk, did not immediately respond to requests for comment when the lawsuit was filed as of this writing. The suit names Tesla and other defendants including the estate of the vehicle’s driver whom the plaintiffs accuse of negligent driving.
It seems for the family, the suit represents an attempt to win accountability for what they believe was more than just an accident. They are seeking to prove that a known design vulnerability turned a survivable crash into a fatal fire. Therefore as the lawsuit moves through the Wisconsin state court system, the plaintiffs are seeking compensation and aim to hold Tesla accountable for what they assert was a preventable death. However, for Tesla, the outcome could affect not only legal liability but also public perceptions of electric vehicle (EV) safety.
The company’s door designs which are driven by aesthetics, aerodynamics, and brand image are now under lens again and questions are rising regarding whether convenience features are being weighed properly against emergency exit functionality. So if the case reveals that internal studies warned of these risks and no corrective action was taken, it may force Tesla to revise door mechanisms or issue recalls. Moreover people will also watch whether regulatory bodies escalate their probes in light of the allegations.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
