Lawsuit Blames Tesla Door Design for Fatal Crash

A lawsuit was filed on Friday, claiming that the design of Tesla’s doors contributed to a tragic car accident last November, resulting in the deaths of all five passengers inside a Model S. The suit highlights how the occupants were trapped during a fire that ensued after the collision.

Jeffrey and Michelle Bauer, aged 54 and 55 respectively, managed to survive the initial impact, but were unable to escape due to the door mechanism, as detailed in the lawsuit submitted in Wisconsin state court by their children.

A local resident reported to 911 hearing screams from within the vehicle, according to the complaint.

The sheriff’s office later discovered a body in the driver’s seat, suggesting a possible struggle to escape.

The legal representatives for the victims noted in their complaint that Tesla’s design choices led to a “foreseeable risk” of trapping survivors in a burning car. They assert that the automaker was likely aware of the dangers associated with battery fires affecting the electronic systems, which in turn could prevent doors from unlocking automatically.

While it’s possible to manually unlock the doors from inside, many users may not know where the manual lock is located, adding another layer of risk.

The lawsuit argues that, regardless of the accident’s cause, car manufacturers are obligated to create vehicles that allow for quick evacuation during emergencies. The claim contends that Tesla “ignored these principles” by producing cars that are prone to catching fire upon impact, depending on electronic systems that are likely to malfunction.

According to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, factors such as poor road conditions, excessive speed, and erratic driving account for many accidents in Wisconsin.

Tesla hasn’t responded to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.

In a related investigation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is assessing whether certain Tesla door designs are defective, particularly after instances where door handles became immobilized, trapping passengers, including children.

Additionally, Tesla faces another lawsuit related to a sudden crash before Thanksgiving that claimed the lives of three teenagers who were trapped in a burning Cybertruck near San Francisco. The parents of one victim argue that a design flaw significantly hindered the escape route, causing her to become trapped in a fiery situation.

The incident involved a drunk driver whose reckless behavior led to the crash, killing three of the four students in the vehicle. A fourth individual was rescued by breaking a window.

In a separate case, Michael Sheehan, aged 47, was charged with wrongful death after he perished in a Cybertruck fire near Houston. The lawsuit states that the intense flames ultimately trapped him inside the vehicle, resulting in devastating injuries.

The complaint mentions that this was a single-vehicle accident, emphasizing that apart from the crash forces, issues related to fire safety and design flaws contributed to the tragic outcome.

Tesla’s head of design, Franz von Holzhausen, mentioned that the company is working on a redesign aimed at improving the accessibility of the door handles “in panic situations.”