The family of a student who tragically lost her life in a Tesla vehicle is taking legal action against the company, claiming the tragedy was due to a recognized flaw in the car’s design.
In November of last year, Krysta Tsukahara, aged 19, along with Jack Nelson, 20, and Soren Dixon, 19, the driver, perished in a high-speed crash involving a Cybertruck.
According to reports, the Tesla, belonging to the Dixon estate, collided with a tree in Piedmont, California.
Nearly half a year after their initial lawsuit, Tsukahara’s parents, Carl and Noelle, have submitted a revised wrongful death complaint on October 2.
Several media sources, including the New York Times, have detailed that the extensive 36-page lawsuit argues that the design of the Cybertruck’s doors impeded Tsukahara’s ability to exit the vehicle, despite only having sustained non-life-threatening injuries initially during the crash.
The amended complaint was filed in the Alameda County Superior Court and alleges that Tsukahara succumbed to burns and smoke inhalation after the Cybertruck battery ignited, following the crash, as reported by the New York Times.
The San Francisco Chronicle noted that the Cybertruck doors operate using a 12-volt battery, which may fail if the vehicle loses power in a collision.
The lawsuit claims that all three passengers were unable to exit the vehicle due to a design issue involving a hidden manual lever.
Tsukahara’s parents stated in the lawsuit that their daughter endured ‘unimaginable pain and emotional distress’ because she was trapped in the back seat during the vehicle fire.
“Krysta was a bright, kind, and accomplished young woman with her whole life ahead of her,” stated her father, Carl Tsukahara, according to KTVU Fox 2.
“We’ve had to endure not only the loss of our daughter, but the silence surrounding how this happened and why she couldn’t get out.”
During an interview with the New York Times, he expressed: “Our life is never going to be the same, and there are other families just like us.”
Talking about pursuing punitive damages against Tesla, the grieving father added: “This company is worth a trillion dollars – how can you release a machine that’s not safe in so many ways?”
UNILAD has contacted Tesla for further comment.
Attorney Roger Dreyer, representing the family, stated that the Tesla vehicle had ‘failed’ their daughter, who was enrolled at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
“There was no functioning, accessible manual override or emergency release for her to escape. Her death was preventable,” he claimed, according to KTVU Fox 2.
“Tesla knows that it’s happened and that it’s going to happen, and they are doing nothing but selling the car with a system that entraps people and doesn’t provide a way of extraction,” he alleged.
Dreyer emphasized that the revised lawsuit focuses on ‘truth and accountability’.
According to ABC 7 News, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has initiated an investigation into reports of Cybertruck doors failing to open after crashes.
The outlet reported that the investigation is examining driver complaints who, after exiting their vehicles, were unable to open rear doors to retrieve their children, in some cases resorting to breaking windows.