Crash Victim Stuck in Fiery Tesla Files Lawsuit Over Door Handles | Carscoops

      Tesla is facing a lawsuit that claims the door handles of the Model Y failed during a crash, leaving a passenger trapped inside.

      The passenger suffered serious burns and respiratory injuries while being trapped in a fire.

      The lawsuit alleges that defective door handles hindered escape and exacerbated the injuries from the crash.

      The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating approximately 174,000 electric vehicles for potential issues with rear door handles.

      Concerns regarding the door handles of Tesla's Model Y have come to the forefront this week following an investigation by U.S. regulators into around 174,000 cars. Tesla promptly acknowledged that it is conducting its own assessment and mentioned that the system will be redesigned due to several troubling incidents. In some instances, parents have had to break windows to rescue children who were trapped inside when the flush-mounted handles became inoperable.

      However, the issues may run deeper. In June, Tesla faced a lawsuit related to the same problem, with claims that malfunctioning handles of the Model Y contributed to a passenger sustaining severe injuries in a crash.

      The lawsuit, filed in Texas by plaintiff Susmita Maddi, revolves around a collision that occurred on December 9, 2023. Maddi's husband, Venkateswara Pasumarti, was driving their Model Y when he experienced a medical emergency and lost control of the vehicle, which subsequently crashed into a utility pole and ignited.

      Trapped Inside

      It is alleged that bystanders and witnesses were unable to open the passenger door because the locking mechanism prevented it from being opened from the outside. The fire is reported to have spread into the cabin of the Model Y, resulting in “severe burns and respiratory injuries” for the passenger.

      The filing claims that the Tesla “was defective and unreasonably dangerous as it was not properly designed, manufactured, or marketed to reduce the risk of injury.” It also contends that the vehicle was not crash-worthy, that the occupant compartment was not reasonably escapable or accessible post-accident, and that the door handles and locking system “were defectively designed.”

      Tesla is also being examined for allegedly “failing to adequately test the 2023 Model Y to ensure it would be reasonably safe” in accidents similar to the one experienced by Maddi and Pasumarti.

      The plaintiff is seeking damages for medical expenses related to all injuries sustained, loss of income, ongoing pain and suffering, mental distress, disfigurement, and long-term impairment. The case is scheduled to be heard by a jury, with representation from the Payne Mitchell Ramsey Law Group in Dallas, Texas.