Tesla sued over alleged suspension failure in deadly Florida crash

San Francisco (Reuters) – Tesla Inc has been sued over an alleged suspension failure in a crash that killed the motive force and a passenger in Florida final yr and sparked a federal probe.

The 2021 Mannequin 3 car had a “faulty and unreasonably harmful suspension that will trigger lack of management throughout extraordinary and foreseeable driving circumstances,” in line with the lawsuit filed by the motive force’s household in a Florida state courtroom final week. The case was first reported by authorized data website Plainsite.

The lawsuit mentioned that 4 days earlier than the accident in September, the motive force, Nicholas G. Garcia, introduced the car to a Tesla Retailer because of issues with “controllability/steering, suspension, battery and digital system, and a capability to open the doorways.”

The lawsuit accused a Tesla service supervisor of “negligently” inspecting the affected mannequin.

The Nationwide Transportation Security Board, which is probing the accident, mentioned in a preliminary report in November that the automobile was rushing earlier than crashing into two timber and catching hearth.

Garcia, 20, and front-seat passenger Jazmin Alcala, 19, sustained accidents and “traumatic life ending burns,” in line with a Coral Gables Police Division report.

The lawsuit seeks damages of over $30,000 every from Tesla and the service supervisor.

Tesla was not instantly accessible for remark.

The car’s under-body struck the roadway after going over a “hump” within the heart of an intersection, in line with the police report seen by Reuters. The driving force misplaced management and drove off the roadway earlier than the collision.

In October, Tesla recalled practically 3,000 2020-2021 Mannequin Y and 2019-2021 Mannequin 3 autos in the USA over a suspension difficulty. Tesla recalled 21,599 China-made Mannequin Ys in December, saying a suspension hyperlink might fall out of the steering knuckle beneath excessive stress circumstances.

In 2020, the U.S. Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration opened an investigation into round 115,000 Mannequin S and Mannequin X autos over a entrance suspension security difficulty.

(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin and David Sheperdson; Modifying by Richard Chang)