Family sues Tesla after Cybertruck owner dies in 5,000-degree inferno | Latest Tech News
A Tesla owner was burned alive in his Cybertruck after the chrome steel beast erupted in a 5,000-degree inferno so intense it triggered his bones to disintegrate, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed in Texas.
Michael Sheehan, 47, purchased the futuristic pickup in April 2024. Just three months later on Aug. 3, the truck veered off-road, slammed into a culvert and burst into flames close to Beach City, around 30 miles east of Houston.
The raging fire trapped Sheehan inside the vehicle as the batteries powering the $100,000 SUV went into catastrophic failure, court filings say. The blaze was so scorching Sheehan’s skeletal system actually fractured from the heat.
Michael Sheehan, 47, died on Aug. 3 of last yr after his Tesla Cybertruck crashed about 30 miles east of Houston. Peevey Funerals
“He was eight inches shorter in length than he was before he burned,” attorney S. Scott West told The Independent. “That’s thermal fracture.”
Sheehan’s widow, Shannon, and his dad and mom filed the swimsuit in June, accusing Tesla of promoting a vehicle so defectively designed it remodeled a survivable crash into a fiery death.
“This was a single-vehicle crash,” the petition states. “The crash forces were survivable… except for the fire, ergonomic shortcomings, and deficient crashworthiness.”
West, a former industrial design engineer turned trial lawyer, blasted the company’s priorities.
“Not only are you riding on top of 3,000 pounds of batteries, this ‘spaceship’ design is a double-edged sword,” West told The Independent.
The image above from August of last yr reveals investigators at the scene in Beach City, Texas. KHOU11
He alleged Tesla put aesthetics forward of basic security, making it practically not possible for Sheehan to escape once the truck misplaced energy. Instead, Sheehan discovered himself locked in a firetrap.
The lawsuit says the Cybertruck’s electrically operated doorways can’t be opened once energy is cut. Exterior handles fail, and the handbook release latches inside are “unreasonably difficult to locate in an emergency.”
Tesla, the submitting continues, gave homeowners “insufficient warnings or training” on how to exit post-crash.
“Michael was a Mensa-level guy, very, very smart,” West told The Independent.
The swimsuit claims the Cybertruck’s battery system was “hyper volatile” and inclined to “thermal runaway,” a chain response of short-circuits that unleashes uncontrollable heat. KHOU11
“But when Tesla delivered this [Cybertruck] to him, the instructions they gave him were woefully inadequate to handle a situation like this.”
West acknowledged that Sheehan had alcohol in his system, a fact famous in the grievance. But, he argued, “that shouldn’t sign his death warrant.”
In fact, the lawsuit also targets 3180 Bar, LLC, doing business as The Barn Whiskey Bar, where Sheehan was allegedly overserved on the night time of the crash.
Attorneys accuse the bar of persevering with to serve Sheehan despite his condition and failing to intervene or present secure options.
The raging fire trapped Sheehan inside the vehicle as the batteries powering the $100,000 SUV went into catastrophic failure, court filings say. The image above is a file photograph of a Tesla Cybertruck. NurPhoto via Getty Images
Sheehan, who labored as a registered nurse, was remembered by family members as a devoted husband with a “gentle spirit.”
His obituary said he cherished cooking for household and mates, was passionate about zombie motion pictures, and lived life “authentically” and “unapologetically.”
“Knowing and loving Michael was a true joy,” his obituary read. “He made a profound impact on so many lives. He was unique, authentic, caring, funny and he lived his life unapologetically.”
Sheehan was the first individual to die in a Cybertruck crash since the model launched in November 2023, according to The Independent.
Sheehan’s widow, Shannon, and his dad and mom filed swimsuit in June 2025, accusing Tesla of promoting a vehicle so defectively designed it remodeled a survivable crash into a fiery death. Christopher Sadowski
Months later, three faculty college students in California have been burned to death in another Cybertruck wreck.
In April, USC basketball recruit Alijah Arenas — son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas — was positioned in an induced coma after a fiery Cybertruck crash in Los Angeles.
Tesla has recalled the Cybertruck at least eight occasions since launch for issues ranging from accelerator pedals that indifferent to physique panels that delaminated.
The model has also suffered steep depreciation on resale and sluggish gross sales as rivals gain ground.
Alijah Arenas, son of retired NBA star Gilbert Arenas, was positioned in an induced coma after a Cybertruck crash. AP
West said he hopes the Sheehan case forces Tesla and Elon Musk to finally confront the hazards of their automobiles.
“Every religion has a version of hell, and every version of hell has fire,” he told The Independent.
“It is the most excruciating and longest torture of any death. The nerves are literally exposed to everything. It’s horrific.”
He added: “There’s my challenge to Elon. Put me out of business. Make these vehicles so safe that I don’t have to do this anymore.”
Tesla and The Barn Whiskey Bar didn’t reply to a request for remark.
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