Massachusetts Mother Sues Tesla After Son Dies in Car Fire

UPDATE: A Massachusetts mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla, alleging that her son was trapped and burned alive in his vehicle due to a defect in the electric door design. Jacquelyn Tremblett claims her 20-year-old son, Samuel, died on October 29, 2022, after his Tesla Model Y crashed on Route 138 in Easton and became engulfed in flames.

According to the lawsuit filed in Boston federal court, Samuel was unable to escape the burning car and called 911 in a desperate plea for help. “I can’t breathe. It’s on fire. Help. Please. I’m going to die,” Samuel told dispatchers as the flames consumed the vehicle. First responders reported multiple explosions as they arrived at the scene, where they found the car heavily damaged and ablaze in a wooded area.

The lawsuit highlights the “unreasonably dangerous design” of Tesla’s electric door handles, which the suit claims contributed to Samuel’s tragic death. Despite numerous reports of similar incidents involving Tesla vehicles, Jacquelyn asserts that the company has ignored life-threatening defects. “How could Tesla keep selling vehicles that they know trap people inside their cars after a crash?” she stated, expressing outrage over her son’s preventable death.

Jacquelyn’s attorney, Andrew Nebenzahl, emphasized that Tesla has disregarded serious safety concerns raised by its own engineers. “This young man died begging for help,” Nebenzahl said. The lawsuit cites at least 15 fatalities since 2016 related to Tesla’s electric doors, suggesting a pattern of negligence.

Samuel Tremblett was a promising student at Syracuse University, pursuing a modeling career and launching his own clothing line. Tragically, his life was cut short due to a design flaw that, according to the lawsuit, Tesla has failed to rectify. The complaint alleges that Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, has prioritized aesthetics over safety, promoting vehicles as the “safest” in the world despite the dangers of their design.

The lawsuit accuses Tesla of “carelessly” designing vehicles that trap occupants during emergencies, restricting access to manual overrides when electronic systems fail. Reports of similar incidents, including victims unable to escape burning Teslas, have raised critical safety concerns about the company’s electric vehicles.

Jacquelyn’s fight for justice comes as many are questioning Tesla’s commitment to safety. In a 2018 earnings call, Musk claimed the company was “absolutely hardcore about safety,” yet the allegations in this lawsuit paint a starkly different picture. “Tesla knew about this defect for years and, despite being warned, they refused to change the design,” Nebenzahl added.

As this case unfolds, it raises urgent questions about automotive safety standards and accountability in the electric vehicle industry. The public is left to wonder how many more lives could be at risk as Tesla continues to manufacture vehicles with potentially fatal flaws.

The Herald has reached out to Tesla for comment on the lawsuit, but the company has not yet responded. The lawsuit is set to draw considerable attention as it seeks accountability for the alleged negligence that led to the tragic loss of a young life. Further developments are expected as the case progresses through the legal system.