— A Tesla door handle lawsuit alleges the door handles, locks and multiple other components caused severe injuries and burns to a passenger in a 2023 Tesla Model Y.
Plaintiff and passenger Susmita Maddi was riding in the front seat when the crash occured December 9, 2023.
Her husband, Venkateswara Pasumarti, was driving in Leesburg, Virginia when he suddenly lost control of the Model Y due to a medical emergency.
The lawsuit says the Tesla slammed into a utility pole and the front of the Model Y caught fire, but bystanders and witnesses were unable to open the passenger door due to the door lock which prevented it from being opened from the outside.
The fire eventually entered the occupant compartment causing severe burns and respiratory injuries to the plaintiff.
According to the plaintiff, the 2023 Tesla Model Y was "defective and unreasonably dangerous" from the time it was originally built. And the lawsuit claims there were alternative designs Tesla could have used that likely would have prevented or reduced the risk of injuries.
The Tesla Model Y was allegedly "defective and unreasonably dangerous" because it was not crashworthy, the door handles and locks were defective, and the "occupant compartment was not reasonably escapable or accessible in the event of a foreseeable accident resulting in fire and loss of power."
In addition, the Tesla door handle lawsuit alleges the warnings and instructions for the Model Y were "inadequate."
According to the lawsuit, Tesla failed to adequately test the 2023 Model Y to ensure that it would be reasonably safe in foreseeable crashes.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 2023 Tesla Model Y received a five-star overall safety rating, the highest possible. And the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the 2023 Model Y with the Top Safety Pick+, the highest possible.
The Tesla door handle and door lock lawsuit was filed in the Travis County District Court in Austin, Texas: Susmita Maddi v. Tesla, Inc.
The plaintiff is represented by Payne Mitchell Ramsey Law Group.