Tesla sued over crash of Model 3 that exploded into a raging fire, killing 1 | Latest Tech News
Tesla has been hit with another lawsuit over a lethal post-crash inferno, this time from a Washington state man whose spouse died after his 2018 Model 3 “exploded into a raging fire” when an abrupt acceleration despatched it into a utility pole and left rescuers unable to pry the doorways open.
The federal criticism filed Friday claimed Jeffery and Wendy Dennis had no probability to escape because the sedan’s digital handles died the moment the car misplaced energy.
(*1*)Wendy Dennis died at the scene while plaintiff Jeff Dennis suffered catastrophic burns.
A Washington State resident died and another was severely injured when their Tesla Model 3 caught fire after hitting a utility pole in Tacoma on Jan. 7, 2023. U.S. District Court
The submitting alleges the Model 3 “suddenly and rapidly accelerated out of control,” surging for roughly 5 seconds before the Jan. 7, 2023 influence in Tacoma.
The crash triggered what the swimsuit calls an “extremely hot fire” that engulfed the cabin and burned for hours.
Several people ran toward the wreck but had been pushed back by flames described as “increasingly intense.”
With the handles idled, they might only “watch helplessly from a distance as the severely injured Jeff and Wendy burned in the inferno.”
The swimsuit says the blast uncovered “the vehicle’s high voltage battery pack [containing] thousands of highly explosive batteries” and produced a “hard-to-extinguish fire” that blocked access to both occupants.
Lawyers say the blaze grew so fast, “it quickly becomes too hot for rescuers to react effectively.”
Tesla didn’t immediately reply to a request for remark.
Jeffery and Wendy Dennis had no probability to escape because the sedan’s digital handles died the moment the car misplaced energy, according to a lawsuit. U.S. District Court
The criticism also blames faulty acceleration and braking systems, alleging the automated emergency braking never activated despite an unavoidable collision.
The submitting lands as regulators probe whether or not Tesla doorways entice occupants when low-voltage energy fails — scrutiny fueled by a string of comparable fire-entrapment lawsuits.
In Wisconsin, households sued over a Model S fire that killed 5 people in Verona on Nov. 1, 2024, after they allegedly grew to become trapped as flames tore through the car.
A neighbor who called 911 reported “big flames” and “big bangs” and said she might “hear people screaming from within the vehicle.”
In Wisconsin, households sued over a Model S fire that killed at least three people in Verona on Nov. 1, 2024, after they allegedly grew to become trapped as flames tore through the car. Christopher Sadowski
Emergency crews allegedly discovered the doorways inoperable.
Rear-seat passengers had only a hidden mechanical release buried under carpeting — a mechanism the lawsuit says couldn’t be discovered in smoke and darkness. None of the 5 occupants escaped.
The Bauer household claims the victims survived the initial crash but died because Tesla ignored years of warnings that digital releases fail after energy loss.
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office said that “road conditions, excess speed, and impaired driving” all contributed to the collision.
The driver of the car and all of the passengers had been legally drunk at the time of the crash, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
In California, mother and father of 21-year-old Krysta Michelle Tsukahara say a Cybertruck grew to become a “death trap” when it burst into flames on Nov. 27, 2024, after hitting a tree in Alameda County.
Tsukahara survived the crash but couldn’t escape because the Cybertruck had no exterior handles and relied totally on low-voltage buttons that went useless as soon as the fire started.
A Good Samaritan also failed to open the doorways.
The only emergency option in her seating place was a hid wire loop hidden inside the map pocket at the underside of the door — a setup the criticism calls impractical as the cabin stuffed with fire.
Rescuers couldn’t break through the truck’s “armor glass” or stainless-steel doorways in time. Tsukahara died of smoke inhalation and thermal accidents.
All three fits declare Tesla knew for years that its electric door systems routinely fail when energy is misplaced — and ignored repeated warnings from house owners, first responders and regulators.
The filings also allege the company understated the fire dangers tied to its lithium-ion battery packs.
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