Bloomberg reported on the wrongful death lawsuit, which focuses on a driver named Samuel Tremblett, 20, who died after colliding with a Tesla Model Y SUV last October.
According to the lawsuit, Tremblett was driving a 2021 Tesla Model Y outside Boston when he left the roadway and struck a tree. He survived the initial impact but was unable to exit the vehicle due to a reported failure of Tesla’s signature electric door system. He eventually died as a result of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Before he died, Tremblett called 911, but first responders were not able to save him in time.
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The most horrifying part of this whole story comes from the 911 call transcript obtained in the lawsuit.
According to the transcript, Tremblett said, “It’s on fire. Please help.” “I’m gonna die.”
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The lawsuit states that police officers immediately arrived at the scene, but were unable to extinguish the fire or remove Tremblett in time. The lawsuit says it ultimately took firefighters four hours to extinguish the crashed Model Y.
As the fire burned, Tremblett remained on the phone with the 911 dispatcher:
I’m stuck in a car accident… I can’t get out, please help me… I can’t breathe… It’s on fire, it’s on fire. Please help… I’m going to die… I’m dying. help. I’m dying… help… help.
Last year, a Bloomberg report revealed 15 deaths related to Tesla’s electronic door system, part of a broader investigation into the safety of the Tesla Door. According to Bloomberg, each Tesla vehicle has a low-voltage battery that controls components such as the doors, while a higher-voltage battery is responsible for propelling the car. If the low-voltage battery becomes disabled for any reason, the doors will not open in their normal manner.
There is a mechanical release for the doors, but according to Bloomberg, many drivers are not aware of it or how to operate it. Additionally, nervous drivers may struggle to remember the proper opening procedure in a life or death situation.
The lawsuit accuses Tesla of selling vehicles with “defective and unreasonably dangerous automatic door handles.” It further states that “Tesla has a duty to provide adequate warnings, instructions, and information before placing the subject vehicle in the stream of commerce” and “Tesla knew or should have known about the defective and unreasonably dangerous condition of the 2021 Model Y.”
For its part, Tesla said last year that it would update its vehicles so that the doors automatically unlock after a “severe collision.” However, the company came to this conclusion only after several deaths allegedly caused by door failure.
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electric vehicle tesla
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