Tesla Sued For Negligent Design After Crash Involving 'Sudden,' 'Automatic' Acceleration

A New York driver has filed a lawsuit alleging that a Tesla Inc TSLA vehicle auto accelerated, forcing him to crash it into a parking space.

What Happened: According to a lawsuit filed this week by Akm Shamsuzzaman in the Supreme Court of the state of New York, they were given a Tesla to drive on January 29. The complainant was a driver at Revel Transit Inc.

After failing to start on the first attempt, the car started on the second and suddenly and automatically accelerated forward. Though the complainant pressed the brake pedal, the vehicle did not stop, forcing them to crash the vehicle in an empty parking space. The complainant suffered “serious and permanent injuries” during the accident and is now seeking damages from the EV giant.

“At all relevant times, the subject vehicle was negligently and dangerously designed,” the lawsuit said while adding that Tesla owed the driver a duty to use reasonable care in the design and manufacturing of the vehicle.

Why It Matters: Last week, it was reported that China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) issued a recall for 1.1 million Tesla vehicles citing an issue with its regenerative braking system. The issue increases the risk of collision and poses a safety hazard, the regulator noted.

In January 2021, NHTSA rejected the petition to review 662,000 Tesla vehicles for unintended acceleration citing ‘no evidence.’

“There is no evidence of any fault in the accelerator pedal assemblies, motor control systems, or brake systems that has contributed to any of the cited incidents,” NHTSA said.

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