Lawsuit: Faulty Tesla Cybertruck Door Handles Caused Fatal Accident
▼ Summary
– Krysta Tsukahara’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla, alleging the Cybertruck’s “dangerously defective” door handle design trapped her inside a burning vehicle.
– The lawsuit claims Tsukahara survived the initial crash with minor injuries but died from smoke inhalation and burns when the electronic door system failed during a fire.
– Tesla is facing scrutiny as the NHTSA has opened an investigation into its electronic door handles following reports of power loss trapping passengers.
– Tesla’s design chief stated the company is working on a redesign to combine electronic and manual door handles for easier escape in emergencies.
– The Cybertruck’s manual release cable is located in an obscure spot beneath a rear door map pocket, making it difficult to use in a panic situation.
A new lawsuit alleges that a fatal accident involving a Tesla Cybertruck was caused by its electronic door handles failing during a fire, preventing a young passenger from escaping the burning vehicle. The family of Krysta Tsukahara, aged 19, has initiated legal action against Tesla, contending the automaker knowingly sold vehicles with a hazardous door handle system even after receiving multiple warnings about the potential for occupants to become trapped.
The tragic incident occurred in Piedmont, California, in November 2024. A Cybertruck carrying four individuals collided with a tree. The crash resulted in the deaths of the driver, Soren Dixon, 19, and another passenger, Jack Nelson, 20. According to the legal filing, Tsukahara survived the initial impact with what were described as minor injuries. The lawsuit states that the truck subsequently caught fire for reasons still under investigation. A critical power failure reportedly disabled the electronic door release system, leaving Tsukahara unable to get out. She ultimately succumbed to smoke inhalation and burns. A fourth passenger managed to survive the ordeal.
This case has intensified existing scrutiny over the safety of Tesla’s electronic door mechanisms. A recent investigative report documented several other instances where passengers were reportedly trapped inside Tesla vehicles following a power loss. In response to these growing concerns, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a formal probe into the door handles. Tesla’s chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, has publicly acknowledged the issue, revealing that the company is developing a redesigned handle. The new design would reportedly merge electronic and manual functions into a single button, aiming to simplify egress during a high-stress emergency.
The Cybertruck’s design notably departs from conventional vehicles by eliminating external door handles. To enter, a driver must be near the vehicle with a key and press a button located on the door pillar. Exiting requires an occupant to press an interior button and then push the door open. While a manual release cable exists as a backup, the lawsuit criticizes its placement as dangerously obscure. It is situated beneath a rubber mat at the bottom of the rear door’s map pocket.
The legal complaint argues that accessing this manual release is not a straightforward process. A passenger would need to remove the liner, find a small loop, and pull it, a sequence deemed impractical during a panic-filled emergency. The lawsuit concludes that these specific design decisions created a foreseeable and deadly risk, where individuals who survived a collision could still perish because they were unable to exit a vehicle on fire.
(Source: The Verge)
