Man Dies in Tesla Cybertruck Fire, Elon Musk Sued

KatadataOTO – Towards the end of last year, the case of a Texas man's death became a hot topic. He was burned alive inside an electric car, a Tesla Cybertruck, after a crash.

This case has resurfaced because the victim's family decided to sue Tesla. It is known that the incident could have been avoided if Michael Sheehan (47), the victim, had been able to open the door from inside the vehicle.

The latest fact is that the victim was burned at a temperature of around 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or equivalent to 2,760 degrees Celsius.

The heat level was so severe it is claimed to have caused Sheehan's bones to suffer thermal fractures. They even became eight inches shorter than they should have been.

Photo : The Independent

The family insists that a similar single-vehicle accident should not have been fatal. However, the Cybertruck was sub-optimally designed, causing the driver and passengers to be trapped inside during an incident.

The Sheehan family's lawyer asserts that what Sheehan experienced was prolonged torture.

“If you’ve ever been to a hospital burn unit, you’ll hear patients even ask doctors to let them die because the pain is so intense,” said S. Scott West, the Sheehan family's lawyer, as quoted by The Independent on Sunday (07/06).

10 months after Sheehan's death, he claims to have tried to discuss the matter with Tesla to avoid legal action. However, those talks did not reach a resolution.

A Tesla representative has been contacted regarding the incident. However, they have so far declined to provide a statement or brief comment.

Design Negligence Highlighted

The Sheehan family's lawyer, who is a former industrial design engineer, highlighted that there is a special door handle for the EV (Electric Vehicle) that can be used to open the door when the car loses power. Unfortunately, it is placed in an area that is difficult to reach in an emergency.

“You’re not just driving on top of a 3,000-pound (1,360 kg) battery. This ‘spaceship’ design is a double-edged sword,” said West.

According to him, the Tesla Cybertruck was built prioritizing exterior design aesthetics over functionality.

Photo : Special

Referring to the official explanation from Tesla, the car doors indeed cannot be opened using the interior button when the car loses power.

So, the owner must open it using a manual lever. It is located near the vehicle's window control buttons.

As for the rear, passengers must lift the carpet in the lower rear cabin and pull a mechanical cable so the door can then be pushed open manually.