Lawsuit Alleges Tesla Model 3 Flaws in Fatal Crash

A lawsuit filed against Tesla alleges that design flaws in a 2018 Model 3 contributed to a fatal crash in Tacoma, Washington, on January 7, 2023, where the vehicle suddenly accelerated, struck a utility pole, and burst into flames, trapping and killing one occupant while severely injuring the driver.

The complaint, submitted last week in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, was brought by Jeff Dennis, who was driving the sedan with his wife, Wendy Dennis, at the time of the incident. According to the lawsuit, the couple was running errands when the car accelerated uncontrollably for about five seconds. Dennis swerved to avoid other vehicles but could not prevent the collision with the pole at the intersection of South 56th Street and South Washington Street. The impact ignited a fire that rapidly engulfed the vehicle, fueled by what the suit describes as a defective battery pack containing highly reactive lithium-ion cells.

The lawsuit claims that Tesla's automatic emergency braking system, designed to engage brakes in unavoidable frontal collisions, failed to activate during the sequence. It further alleges that the vehicle's electronic door handles,...