Families Assert Tesla Door Handles Entangled Teens In Blazing Cybertruck | Carscoops

      A second wrongful death suit has been filed against Tesla, accusing the company of disregarding lethal design flaws that trapped young passengers in a burning vehicle.

      Tesla is facing legal action once again this week due to a deadly Cybertruck crash in California. The parents claim that Tesla overlooked a safety defect that left the victims trapped in the burning truck. The lawsuit asserts that a concealed door release mechanism made escape impossible during the fire following the crash.

      The automaker is under increased scrutiny after another serious incident with its vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is conducting an investigation into reports from owners that the electric door handles on Tesla vehicles may malfunction, preventing people from getting in or out. In addition to this investigation, the parents of two teenagers who died in a Cybertruck accident last November are suing Tesla.

      The lawsuits indicate that issues with the pickup's door handles hindered the teens from exiting the vehicle.

      The crash occurred in the early morning hours of November 27 in Piedmont, California. Four teenagers were inside the Tesla when it collided with a cement wall and became trapped between the wall and a large tree. Shortly after, the vehicle ignited, resulting in the deaths of three of the four occupants, all of whom were recent graduates of Piedmont High School.

      Expanding the Legal Challenge

      Carl and Noelle Tsukahara, the parents of 18-year-old Krysta Tsukahara, recently included Tesla in a prior lawsuit initially directed at the estate of the 19-year-old driver, Soren Dixon, as well as the estate of the vehicle's owner. Additionally, the parents of 20-year-old Jack Nelson, another crash victim, have filed a separate lawsuit against the company.

      When Power is Lost

      The lawsuits highlight that the Cybertruck's door handles function based on a 12-volt battery, so if the vehicle loses power after a collision, the electronic door mechanisms will fail. While the vehicle does include manual door releases at both the front and rear, they can be difficult to locate. This is particularly true in the back row, where a manual release cable is obscured beneath a rubber mat at the bottom of the door pocket.

      The Tsukahara lawsuit claims that their daughter survived the crash and was alert but could not escape from the second row of the Tesla and ultimately succumbed to smoke inhalation and burns. It is alleged that Tesla has been aware of the safety issues concerning its electric door handles for an extended period.

      “These are not new concepts or ideas, and they are considerations that vehicle designers should address,” stated one of the lawyers representing the Nelson family in the San Francisco Chronicle. “It’s a preventable death if a vehicle occupant dies who otherwise could have exited if their doors were functional, or be rescued.”

      Both lawsuits are seeking unspecified punitive damages from Tesla. The Tsukahara family's attorney believes they have a "very, very strong case" against the electric vehicle manufacturer.

      “They will likely place blame on Mr. Dixon, anyone but themselves, but this vehicle should never have trapped these individuals and my clients’ daughter. This is our way of holding the responsible party accountable and addressing improper conduct.”