— Alleged Tesla door handle problems caused a passenger to sue Tesla following a December 9, 2023, crash in Leesburg, Virginia.
But the automaker argues the entire lawsuit is baseless.
The Tesla door handle lawsuit was filed by Susmita Maddi, who was riding in a 2023 Tesla Model Y when her husband, Venkateswara Pasumarti, had a medical emergency and crashed into a utility pole, causing the vehicle to catch fire.
The passenger door purportedly couldn't be opened from the outside by witnesses because of the defective door handle and lock.
The lawsuit says front seat passenger Maddi suffered burns and injuries due to defective door handles, as well as several other components of the Tesla.
The Tesla Model Y was supposedly "defective and unreasonably dangerous," not "crashworthy," and the "occupant compartment was not reasonably escapable or accessible in the event of a foreseeable accident resulting in fire and loss of power." The plaintiff also contends the Model Y was defective from the time it was first built.
Tesla allegedly should have warned the plaintiff about the vehicle, but instead, provided instructions that were inadequate.
Tesla's Answer to the Door Handle Lawsuit
Tesla told the judge the lawsuit should not even be in court because the plaintiff entered a binding arbitration agreement with Tesla when the vehicle was purchased.
The lawsuit alleges Tesla had a legal duty to warn the plaintiff after the vehicle was sold about supposed defects in the vehicle, but Tesla argues that theory of liability is not available in Texas.
According to the automaker, "Texas courts have specifically held there is no post-sale duty to warn of, or to recall, an allegedly defective product."
Tesla argues the lawsuit should be dismissed because the 2023 Tesla Model Y complied with all federal and state vehicle regulations when it was manufactured and sold, so the claims made by the plaintiff are preempted federally.
In addition, the automaker insists all the claims are barred by a lack of jurisdiction because the state with the most significant relation to this lawsuit is Virginia, where the crash occurred.
And Tesla demands a jury trial to prove the crash and any injuries or damages were the result of "negligent acts" beyond Tesla's control and caused by others, including driver Venkateswara Pasumarti.
"Tesla denies each and every material allegation contained in the Petition, demands strict proof thereof, and to the extent such matters are questions of fact, says Plaintiff must prove such facts by a preponderance of the evidence to a jury." — Tesla
The Tesla door handle 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.