– A Tesla lawsuit alleges that the door handles on a 2018 Model 3 were defective and that rescuers were unable to save 52-year-old Wendy M. Dennis, who died in a crash on January 7, 2023.
The lawsuit further alleges that the door handles prevented the removal of her husband Jeff, who suffered serious injuries.
While Tesla’s door handles are at the center of the lawsuit, they are not the only allegedly defective components and features that caused the Model 3 crash and Wendy Dennis’ death.
Jeffery L. Dennis was driving the 2018 Tesla Model 3 with his wife in the passenger seat as they traveled west on South 56th Street to the intersection with South Washington Street in Tacoma, Washington.
According to the lawsuit, the Model 3 suddenly accelerated out of control before crashing into a utility pole around 1 p.m. Video shows the Model 3 accelerating while avoiding other vehicles, and the lawsuit says the automatic emergency braking system was never activated.
The Model 3 caught fire and according to the lawsuit, several bystanders tried to help, but the door handles made it impossible for anyone to open the doors from the outside. A baseball bat was used to break the windows to help the couple, but the fire forced everyone away from the Tesla.
First responders eventually removed the couple from the Model 3, but not before Wendy had died and “Jeff had suffered extreme burning of his legs, among numerous other catastrophic injuries.”
“The subject vehicle was not reasonably safe because Tesla failed to provide adequate warnings or instructions after the vehicle was manufactured because Tesla knew or reasonably should have learned about the hazards relating to the vehicle after it was manufactured. Tesla had a duty to provide warnings or instructions about the hazards in the manner that a reasonably prudent manufacturer would have done under the circumstances.” — Tesla Model 3 lawsuit
According to the The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s OfficeMs Dennis died from multiple blunt force injuries.
Tesla lawsuit claims door handles prevented rescue
According to the lawsuit, the 2018 Model 3’s exterior door handles are flush with the vehicle and the interior door handles open with push buttons. But plaintiffs complain that the door handles only work when the batteries supply electricity, batteries that are supposedly designed to shut down in the event of an accident.
The lawsuit says the only way to enter the Model 3 from the outside is to break a window.
Additionally, the plaintiffs allege that the interior door handles require electricity to power the handles unless a manual release is used. But the lawsuit claims that occupants could become trapped if they are not aware of the manual release of the door handle.
Tesla probably did not warn the occupants of the Model 3 about the ‘hidden manual release’.
See 2018 Tesla Model 3 interior door handle release.
In addition to the allegedly defective door handles, the lawsuit alleges several other components or systems are defective.
Tesla sudden unintended acceleration
“Plaintiffs allege that the Tesla Model 3 had a defect that caused it to suddenly, and without warning or command from the driver, go out of control. Although the driver skillfully avoided other vehicles, the Tesla ultimately crashed into a utility pole.” — Tesla lawsuit
Prosecutors allege that the Tesla Model 3 suddenly accelerated at full speed, even though the driver did not initiate the action through the accelerator pedal.
According to the lawsuit, Tesla owners have filed multiple complaints about sudden unintended acceleration, and several lawsuits have been filed over the claims.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigated the allegations and released a report in January 2021 saying that after investigating hundreds of complaints, drivers appeared to be pressing the accelerator instead of the brake pedal.
Tesla automatic emergency braking
The 2018 Model 3 crash lawsuit further alleges that Tesla designed its emergency braking system to disengage if it “receives instructions from the accelerator pedal to collide with a solid object at full speed.” According to the lawsuit, Tesla is guilty of gross negligence regarding its automatic emergency braking system.
Tesla Model 3 battery fire
Tesla’s battery pack was reportedly defectively designed and the batteries were defective because they could have caused the Model 3 to catch fire during the crash. And that fire prevented bystanders from getting near the Model 3.
According to the lawsuit:
“The defective and unreasonably dangerous condition of the subject vehicle was a cause and a substantial factor in the fatal injuries of Wendy Dennis and the injuries of Jeff Dennis.”
The 2018 Tesla Model 3 earned a 5-star safety rating in crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the highest possible. It also earned a ‘Superior’ rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s frontal crash test.
The Tesla Model 3/Wendy Dennis lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington: Jeffery L. Dennis, et al, v. Tesla, Inc.
The plaintiffs are represented by Rivera Law Offices, PLLS and Peggy Underbrink.
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