Tesla Sued Over Structural Defects Following Accident

• The lawsuit concerns structural defects in the Tesla Model 3.
• The accident occurred on January 7, 2023, in Tacoma, Washington.
• The automatic braking system failed during the collision.

The federal lawsuit claims that the structural defects in the Tesla Model 3 contributed to the rapid acceleration of the vehicle, resulting in a collision with an electric pole and the subsequent fire. The incident tragically ended with the death of a woman, while her partner suffered serious injuries.

The lawsuit, filed on November 25, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, also asserts that another defect in the design of the door handle trapped driver Jeff Dennis and his friend Wendy in the burning vehicle.

Wendy Dennis died in the accident on January 7, 2023, in Tacoma, Washington. Her partner, Jeff, sustained serious injuries including burns and other trauma. The lawsuit demands punitive damages in California, as the 2018 Model 3 was manufactured and sold there.

Among other financial demands, the lawsuit also seeks compensation for the wrongful death of Jeff Dennis and the suffering of his deceased partner's family. Plaintiffs are asking for a jury trial.

The Tesla doors have become the subject of several lawsuits regarding accidents, particularly the battery that powers the mechanism for unlocking, which fails during an accident, while the manual door handles are reportedly difficult to use. Last month, the parents of two students from California who died in the Tesla accident filed a lawsuit claiming they were trapped inside the vehicle when it caught fire.

Jeff and Wendy Dennis had been running errands when Tesla rapidly accelerated for about five seconds. Jeff Dennis attempted to avoid other vehicles, first hitting an electric pole. Along with the lawsuit, the automatic emergency braking system failed to engage before the collision, regardless of the fact that it was designed for use in emergency situations.

Witnesses were unable to open the doors due to the manual handles not working as a result of the battery failure. The doors also could not be opened from the inside, as the battery had been disabled due to the fire, and the manual release button was reportedly difficult to find and use. The high temperature from the fire likely caused the witnesses to be close enough to try to help open the door.

The defective chemistry of the battery and the design of the battery module significantly increased the risk of catastrophic fire following the collision with the pole.

Tags: USA/Automotive