Tesla is facing yet another lawsuit connected to a fatal post-crash fire — this one filed by a Washington state man whose wife died when their 2018 Model 3 “exploded into a raging fire” after a sudden acceleration sent the car into a utility pole, trapping both of them inside as rescuers struggled to open the doors.
According to the federal complaint filed Friday, Jeffery and Wendy Dennis had no way out because the car’s electronic door handles instantly shut down when the vehicle lost power.
Wendy died on the spot, and Jeff Dennis was left with life-altering burn injuries.
The lawsuit claims the Model 3 “suddenly and rapidly accelerated out of control,” speeding for about five seconds before crashing on Jan. 7, 2023, in Tacoma.
The impact sparked what attorneys describe as an “extremely hot fire” that consumed the interior and burned for hours.
People who rushed toward the wreck were forced back by flames described as “increasingly intense.”
With the door handles disabled, witnesses could only “watch helplessly from a distance as the severely injured Jeff and Wendy burned in the inferno.”
The lawsuit alleges the crash caused an explosion that exposed “the vehicle’s high voltage battery pack [containing] thousands of highly explosive batteries,” creating a “hard-to-extinguish fire” that prevented rescuers from reaching either occupant.
Attorneys say the blaze intensified so quickly that it became impossible for anyone to intervene in time.
Tesla did not immediately provide a comment on the allegations.
The complaint also points to faulty acceleration and braking systems and argues that the automatic emergency braking failed to activate even though a crash was unavoidable.
This lawsuit comes as regulators continue examining whether Tesla doors trap occupants when low-voltage power shuts down — a concern heightened by a series of similar fire-entrapment cases.
In Wisconsin, families have sued over a Model S fire that killed five people in Verona on Nov. 1, 2024, after they were allegedly unable to escape as flames spread through the vehicle.
A neighbor who called 911 described “big flames” and “big bangs” and said she could “hear people screaming from within the vehicle.”
Emergency crews reportedly discovered that the doors wouldn’t open.
Rear passengers had access only to a hidden manual release tucked beneath carpeting — a feature the lawsuit says was impossible to locate in the thick smoke and darkness. All five occupants died inside the car.
The Bauer family argues the victims survived the initial impact but lost their lives because Tesla ignored longstanding warnings that its electronic releases fail after power loss.
Investigators with the Dane County Sheriff’s Office said that “road conditions, excess speed, and impaired driving” all played a role in the crash.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, both the driver and passengers were legally intoxicated at the time.
Another lawsuit in California, filed by the parents of 21-year-old Krysta Michelle Tsukahara, claims a Cybertruck turned into a “death trap” after bursting into flames on Nov. 27, 2024, when it struck a tree in Alameda County.
Tsukahara survived the initial crash but became trapped inside because the Cybertruck has no exterior handles and depends entirely on low-voltage buttons — which shut off immediately when the fire started.
A passerby tried to help but couldn’t open the doors.
The only emergency escape option available from her seat was a concealed wire loop hidden inside the map pocket at the bottom of the door — a design the lawsuit describes as unrealistic in a cabin quickly filling with flames.
Rescuers were unable to break through the truck’s “armor glass” or stainless-steel doors in time. Tsukahara ultimately died from smoke inhalation and severe burns.
Across all three cases, plaintiffs argue Tesla has long known that its electronic door systems commonly fail during power loss — and that the company ignored repeated warnings from customers, emergency responders, and regulators.
The suits also claim Tesla downplayed the fire dangers linked to its lithium-ion battery packs.
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