Futuristic Doors Blamed for Death of Tesla Driver

The family of a man killed in a Tesla Model S has filed a lawsuit against the company alleging that Omar Awan was killed because the futuristic doors on his vehicle refused to open. According to reports, Awan careened off the road and into a palm tree after which, the lithium-ion battery inside his Tesla caught fire. Unable to open the doors, Awan was burned alive inside the vehicle. Outside of the car, a crowd gathered around the man and attempted to get Awan out of the vehicle. First responders were likewise not able to help Awan.

Tesla’s futuristic retractable door handles are supposed to present themselves when they detect the car’s key fob nearby. However, the door handles malfunctioned and first responders were unable to get Awan out of the vehicle until it was too late.

Tesla will now face what is certain to be a very costly wrongful death lawsuit. Below, we’ll discuss just how costly this lawsuit will be.

If Tesla is Found Responsible for This Accident

Generally speaking, product liability lawsuits like the one Tesla is facing now can be built in two different ways. An attorney will claim that the product is defective and this resulted in injury or death. Here, the malfunction was apparent. The car’s doors couldn’t be opened, preventing Awan from exiting the vehicle. Secondly, product liability attorneys can prove that there was some other safer technology available on the market that would have prevented this accident. Indeed, if Awan had any way to get out of the burning vehicle, he surely would have, and all basic car doors allow passengers and drivers to get out without the need for fancy technology.

Further, because Awan suffered miserably during the last few minutes of his life, likely suffocating from the fire, but not before enduring the pain of being burned, the family will be entitled to seek damages based on both his pain and suffering and their own. They will also be able to collect damages related to his loss of income. Awan, who worked as an anesthesiologist, had five children who depended on him for money. His children will be able to sue for emotional grief and loss of moral guidance. His wife will be able to sue for loss of companionship and consortium.

Making matters worse for Tesla, the company advertised the vehicle as having the highest safety rating among competitors in the class. However, the Awan’s family attorney says that the car is a death trap due to the highly publicized problems with the lithium-ion battery and the fact that the door handles were inaccessible to both Awan and first responders.

When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Tesla said that the company was deeply saddened by the accident and doubled down on the claim that Tesla vehicles are engineered to be the safest in the world.

This is not a good look for Tesla.

Talk to a Jacksonville Personal Injury Attorney Today

If you’ve been injured by a dangerous product, the Jacksonville personal injury attorneys at Gillette Law will file a lawsuit against the manufacturer on your behalf. Talk to us today for a free consultation.

Resource:

washingtonpost.com/business/2019/10/23/man-died-burning-tesla-because-its-futuristic-doors-wouldnt-open-lawsuit-alleges/

https://www.gillettelaw.com/man-killed-by-keyless-car/