Tesla Battles Door Malfunction Liability in Wisconsin Crash Case
Tesla slams brakes on responsibility claims as Wisconsin court case accelerates over alleged door failure during collision.
Legal Showdown
The electric vehicle giant refuses to buckle under pressure, fighting allegations that faulty door mechanisms contributed to crash injuries. Legal teams rev up defenses while plaintiffs claim safety systems stalled when needed most.
Automotive Accountability
Court documents reveal heated exchanges over whether Tesla's engineering meets safety standards or if drivers bear ultimate responsibility. The case could set precedents for how tech-heavy vehicles handle post-accident liability.
Another day, another corporation spending more on lawyers than product improvements—because shareholder value always trumps customer safety in the fine print.
A Wisconsin family is suing Tesla over a fatal crash
The lawsuit, filed Friday in a Wisconsin state court, is based on a crash that happened last November that killed Jeffrey Bauer, 54, and Michelle Bauer, 55, along with three others. According to the complaint filed by the couple’s children, the Bauers initially survived the impact when their Tesla sedan hit a tree, but were unable to escape the vehicle before it was engulfed in flames.
A nearby homeowner who called 911 reported hearing screams from inside the burning car. A sheriff’s report described a cluster of bodies in the front seat, suggesting the victims tried to escape but couldn’t open the doors.
“Tesla’s design choices created a highly foreseeable risk — that occupants who survived a crash WOULD remain trapped inside a burning vehicle,” the family’s lawyers said.
The suit accuses Tesla of negligence and argues that the company was aware of risks tied to its electronic door handles and the potential for battery fires, but did not act to fix them.
The case has sparked a debate over the safety of Tesla’s handle design. The automaker makes use of retractable electronic handles that rely on power from the vehicle’s low-voltage battery. If that system fails during a crash, doors must be opened manually from inside, but many owners are unfamiliar with this method.
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office found that speed, road conditions, and possible impairment contributed to the crash. Despite that, the plaintiffs argue that vehicle manufacturers must ensure the protection of passengers during and after a collision, including allowing escape in a fire.
“Regardless of the cause of a crash, the manufacturer’s obligation includes designing vehicles that permit timely escape and rescue in the event of fire.”
Tesla is also facing a suit in California filed by the families of three college students who allege that a similar design flaw led to their deaths in a fiery crash last year.
Regulators in the U.S., Europe, and China address the dangers
After several similar incidents of passengers getting trapped in their cars due to Tesla’s door design, regulators across multiple regions are taking action.
Cryptopolitan reported earlier in October that the Dutch Vehicle Authority (RDW) revised its approval rules for all Tesla models sold in the European Union after reports of people getting trapped inside their cars after crashes, particularly when power systems fail.
In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into Tesla’s Model Y to determine whether the design fails in emergencies and violates federal safety standards.
At that time, Tesla’s chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, told Bloomberg that the company was working on a redesign of the handle to make it more “intuitive for occupants in a panic situation.” So far, there has been no update on a release date for the redesign.
Chinese regulators are considering a national mandate that requires every passenger car to have mechanical door releases that work both inside and outside, even if the vehicle loses power.
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