Tesla Sued Over Fatal Cybertruck Crash

Tesla is facing a lawsuit from the parents of a teenager who died in a crash involving one of its Cybertruck vehicles last fall, CE Report quotes Kosova Press

The incident occurred in California’s Bay Area and involved four passengers when the vehicle struck a tree and caught fire, according to court documents. Only one passenger survived, The Guardian reported.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in the Alameda County Superior Court by the family of Krysta Tsukahara, a 19-year-old college student who was visiting her family in Piedmont, California, during the Thanksgiving weekend when the crash took place.

The accident happened on November 27, 2024, when the Cybertruck was reportedly speeding before hitting a tree and bursting into flames, according to the California Highway Patrol report. When the truck’s power failed due to the fire, the electric doors became inoperable, trapping all four passengers inside.

The lawsuit claims that the design of the Cybertruck’s door handles was the cause of Tsukahara’s death. When power is lost, the only way to open the rear door from inside is by pulling a cable hidden beneath a storage cover, Bloomberg reported. From outside, the flush door handles make it difficult for rescue workers to access the vehicle.

“This vehicle’s design failed Krysta,” said Roger Dreyer, the attorney representing the Tsukahara family. “There was no functional or accessible manual release mechanism to save lives.”

Tesla’s door handles have been a signature design feature and a point of pride for CEO Elon Musk. The company was among the first to introduce electric, flush-style handles, which enhance the vehicle’s sleek look. However, the design has drawn scrutiny from automotive safety experts and is currently under investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Tesla has previously faced multiple safety-related lawsuits, including a recent case in Florida, where a jury ordered the company to pay $243 million in damages related to its Autopilot driver-assistance system.

The Tsukahara family is also suing the estate of driver Soren Dixon, who, according to toxicology reports, was under the influence of alcohol, cocaine, and amphetamines at the time of the crash. Dixon also died in the accident.