Tesla lawsuit points blame at a Cybertruck following a deadly Texas drunk driving crash
A new Tesla lawsuit names a Cybertruck as responsible for an unfortunate fatality. The lawsuit alleges that the design of the truck prohibited the deceased from escaping the vehicle as it burned following a crash.
A family is seeking $1 million in a lawsuit after a Tesla Cybertruck driver was burned to death in his truck
A Texas family recently filed a lawsuit against Tesla following the 2024 death of Michael Sheehan. 47-year-old Sheehan was driving his Tesla Cybertruck when the truck reportedly speared off the road. It then drove into a ditch, struck a culvert, and caught fire.
The lawsuit alleges that a lack of proper training and the Cybertruck’s design caused Sheehan to become trapped in the burning EV. What’s more, it asserts that the battery chemistry in the Cybertruck’s 123 kWh architecture is “hyper volatile and susceptible to thermal runaway.”
Thermal runaway is the phenomenon wherein rapid temperature increases create a chain reaction of burning cells. As for the design allegations, the lawsuit alleges that the Cybertruck’s door handles were problematic. The plaintiffs said that the “alternate interior door handles are unreasonably difficult to locate in an emergency.”
This isn’t the first time that the Cybertruck has made headlines for fire-related safety concerns. Earlier this year, USC basketball recruit Alijah Arenas crashed his Cybertruck, causing him to become trapped in the EV.
The truck started burning, and Arenas was unable to self-rescue for several minutes. Mercifully, Arenas survived the ordeal.
They’re also suing a whiskey bar for serving the deceased an ‘excessive amount of alcohol’
In addition to accusing Tesla of the circumstances of Sheehan’s death, the family assigns some blame to a whiskey bar. According to Shannon Sheehan, et al., v. Tesla, Inc., et al, the Barn Whiskey Bar served Sheehan an “excessive amount of alcohol,” even though he was “clearly intoxicated,” per Car Complaints.
The plaintiffs say that the watering hole should have “provided a sober driver” alternative to Sheehan. In short, the lawsuit alleges that he shouldn’t have been allowed to drink to excess and then get behind the wheel of a “defective” vehicle.
