Tesla is facing a lawsuit from the family of a teenager who died in a crash last fall involving the company’s Cybertruck. Court filings indicate that four passengers were inside the vehicle when it collided with a tree and ignited in a small, residential area of California’s Bay Area.
One of the individuals involved in the accident survived.
The family of 19-year-old college student Krysta Tsukahara filed the lawsuit Thursday in Alameda County Superior Court. Tsukahara was visiting relatives in Piedmont, California, over Thanksgiving weekend when the crash took place.
According to a California Highway Patrol report, the crash occurred on the night of November 27, 2024, when the Cybertruck, reportedly traveling at high speed, collided with a tree and caught fire. The blaze cut power to the vehicle’s electric doors, trapping all four passengers inside with no means of escape.
The lawsuit claims that the design of the Cybertruck’s door handles contributed to Tsukahara’s death. Inside the vehicle, if power is lost, the only way to open a rear door is by pulling a cable hidden beneath the door’s storage liner, according to Bloomberg. From the outside, the flush-mounted handles keep the doors locked, making it challenging for emergency responders to gain entry.
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“The design of this vehicle failed Krysta,” said Roger Dreyer, the attorney of the Tsukahara family. “There was no functioning, accessible manual override or emergency release for her to escape.”
Tesla’s door handles, a signature feature and a point of pride for CEO Elon Musk, were the first of their kind on a mass-produced vehicle. Designed to sit flush with the car’s body, they give the vehicles a sleek, streamlined appearance. However, the design has drawn criticism from safety experts and is now under review by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“Tesla had repeated and direct notice that its reliance on electronic door systems created a serious risk of entrapment,” as per the suit. “Owners, bystanders, and first responders documented instances where Tesla occupants survived crash forces but could not escape when electrical power failed and fire ensued.”
While the Cybertruck has earned strong safety scores in crash tests, it has also been subject to eight recalls since its debut less than two years ago. Tesla is no stranger to legal battles over vehicle safety, including a recent Florida case where a jury awarded $243 million in damages related to the company’s Autopilot driver-assistance system.
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The family of Krysta Tsukahara is also pursuing legal action against the estate of the driver, Soren Dixon, who, according to an Alameda County coroner’s report, was under the influence of alcohol, cocaine, and amphetamines at the time of the crash. Dixon was killed in the accident.
According to multiple news reports, a friend was following the Cybertruck in another vehicle the night of the crash and witnessed the accident. He rushed to help, breaking a window to reach the passengers. While he was able to pull one person to safety, Tsukahara could not escape the flames.
“Her death was preventable,” Tsukahara’s parents, Carl and Noelle Tsukahara, as per the statement. “She was alive after the crash. She called out for help. And she couldn’t get out.”
Thursday’s lawsuit claims that Tsukahara did not die from injuries sustained in the crash itself, but from smoke inhalation and burns after being trapped inside the Cybertruck.