Tesla défend sa responsabilité dans un accident du Wisconsin lié à une défaillance de portière

Le géant des véhicules électriques se retrouve dans la tourmente juridique après un accident ayant mis en cause le fonctionnement des portières de ses modèles.

Contexte de l'affaire

Tesla conteste fermement les allégations selon lesquelles une défaillance technique serait à l'origine de l'accident survenu dans le Wisconsin. L'entreprise maintient que ses systèmes de sécurité répondent aux normes les plus strictes du secteur.

Enjeux juridiques

Cette affaire s'inscrit dans une série de contentieux mettant en lumière les défis réglementaires auxquels font face les constructeurs de véhicules autonomes et électriques. Les tribunaux doivent désormais arbitrer entre innovation technologique et responsabilité civile.

Impact marché

Pendant ce temps, les investisseurs en crypto suivent avec attention ces développements - rappelant que même les entreprises les plus disruptives ne sont pas à l'abri des vieux démons de la litigation traditionnelle. Une leçon d'humilité dans un secteur souvent trop focalisé sur la technologie au détriment des réalités juridiques.

A Wisconsin family is suing Tesla over a fatal crash 

The lawsuit, filed Friday in a Wisconsin state court, is based on a crash that happened last November that killed Jeffrey Bauer, 54, and Michelle Bauer, 55, along with three others. According to the complaint filed by the couple’s children, the Bauers initially survived the impact when their Tesla sedan hit a tree, but were unable to escape the vehicle before it was engulfed in flames.

A nearby homeowner who called 911 reported hearing screams from inside the burning car. A sheriff’s report described a cluster of bodies in the front seat, suggesting the victims tried to escape but couldn’t open the doors.

“Tesla’s design choices created a highly foreseeable risk — that occupants who survived a crash would remain trapped inside a burning vehicle,” the family’s lawyers said.

The suit accuses Tesla of negligence and argues that the company was aware of risks tied to its electronic door handles and the potential for battery fires, but did not act to fix them. 

The case has sparked a debate over the safety of Tesla’s handle design. The automaker makes use of retractable electronic handles that rely on power from the vehicle’s low-voltage battery. If that system fails during a crash, doors must be opened manually from inside, but many owners are unfamiliar with this method.

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office found that speed, road conditions, and possible impairment contributed to the crash. Despite that, the plaintiffs argue that vehicle manufacturers must ensure the protection of passengers during and after a collision, including allowing escape in a fire.

“Regardless of the cause of a crash, the manufacturer’s obligation includes designing vehicles that permit timely escape and rescue in the event of fire.”

Tesla is also facing a suit in California filed by the families of three college students who allege that a similar design flaw led to their deaths in a fiery crash last year.

Regulators in the U.S., Europe, and China address the dangers

After several similar incidents of passengers getting trapped in their cars due to Tesla’s door design, regulators across multiple regions are taking action.

Cryptopolitan reported earlier in October that the Dutch Vehicle Authority (RDW) revised its approval rules for all Tesla models sold in the European Union after reports of people getting trapped inside their cars after crashes, particularly when power systems fail. 

In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into Tesla’s Model Y to determine whether the design fails in emergencies and violates federal safety standards.

At that time, Tesla’s chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, told Bloomberg that the company was working on a redesign of the handle to make it more “intuitive for occupants in a panic situation.” So far, there has been no update on a release date for the redesign. 

Chinese regulators are considering a national mandate that requires every passenger car to have mechanical door releases that work both inside and outside, even if the vehicle loses power.

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