Tesla sued after another fatal crash
A Florida family is suing Tesla over an alleged defect that caused a car crash that killed a driver and passenger last year.
According to the lawsuit filed by the driver’s family in a Florida state court last week, the 2021 Model 3 vehicle had a “defective and unreasonably dangerous suspension that may cause loss of control during ordinary and foreseeable driving conditions.”
The plaintiffs seek damages of more than $30,000 each from the automaker and the service manager.The document also claims that the driver, Nicholas G. Garcia, brought the car to a Tesla store amid growing concerns over problems with “controllability/steering, suspension, battery and electronic system, and an ability to open the doors” four days before the fatal accident.
The complainants accused a Tesla service manager of “negligently” inspecting the affected model.
The crash, which occurred in the city of Coral Gables, Florida on September 13, killed 20-year old driver Nicholas G. Garcia and his passenger Jazmin Alcala, 19.
Garcia and the front-seat passenger sustained injuries and “traumatic life ending burns,” according to a Coral Gables Police Department report.
According to the report by the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the accident, the car was speeding before crashing into two trees and catching fire.
The police also reported that the car’s underbody struck the roadway after going over a “hump” in the center of an intersection. The driver lost control and drove off the roadway before the crash.
In October, Tesla recalled around 3,000 Model Y and Model 3 vehicles in the US over a suspension issue. The automaker had to recall 21,599 China-made Model Ys in December, saying a suspension link may fall out of the steering knuckle under extreme stress conditions.
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