Tesla is facing a lawsuit filed by the parents of Jack Nelson, who was killed in a crash involving a Cybertruck in Piedmont, California. This lawsuit is the second against the company this week, raising claims about a design flaw that may have contributed to the fatalities in the incident. The lawsuit alleges that Tesla was aware of the design issues for an extended period but did not take timely action to rectify them.
Court documents indicate that the complaint highlights serious design defects in the Cybertruck that may have turned what could have been a survivable accident into a fatal event. The Nelson family has enlisted the legal services of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger. Tesla has not responded to requests for comment regarding this suit.
In a separate yet related case, a similar complaint was lodged on the same day by the parents of another crash victim, Krysta Tsukahara. Nelson, 20, and Tsukahara, 19, were passengers in the Cybertruck, which reportedly crashed into a tree at high speed on November 27, 2024, leading to a fire. After the crash, the electric doors of the vehicle became inoperable due to the fire, trapping the passengers inside.
One other passenger was rescued by a responder who broke a window, while both the driver and another passenger also died in the incident. The Nelson family claims the design deficiencies prevented an effective escape from the vehicle.
These legal challenges to Tesla’s design follow a recent investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, focusing on the vehicle’s electric door handles. The agency has received complaints from drivers who found themselves unable to open back doors after exiting their vehicles, sometimes necessitating the breaking of windows to assist passengers. There have been multiple lawsuits concerning safety issues related to Tesla’s vehicles, including a notable case in August where a jury ruled that Tesla should pay $243 million for a fatal accident involving its Autopilot feature.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/03/tesla-california-cybertruck-crash-lawsuit