A Wisconsin couple tragically lost their lives in a Tesla Model S crash in 2024, and their family is now taking legal action against the electric vehicle manufacturer. The family alleges that the car’s design flaws led to the couple’s inability to escape the vehicle after it collided with a tree and caught fire. The lawsuit, filed in Dane County Circuit Court, claims that the car’s low-voltage electrical power failure rendered the rear door buttons inoperable, trapping the couple inside.
Jeffrey and Michelle Bauer were not victims of the crash itself, but rather the subsequent fire, according to the family’s legal representation. The lawsuit argues that Tesla’s design choices were “unreasonably dangerous,” creating conditions that allowed a fire to ignite and spread rapidly, leaving the couple with no practical means of escape.
The fatal accident occurred in November 2024 on Range Trail in Verona, claiming the lives of five people. A local resident, awakened by the sound of the crash, called 911 and reported hearing screams from within the burning vehicle. The caller described seeing large flames and hearing loud bangs. Even five minutes into the call, the screams could still be heard.
An off-duty police officer also witnessed the aftermath of the crash and called 911. The officer reported seeing the vehicle on fire and hearing cries from within. Tragically, none of the five occupants were able to escape the burning vehicle.
The family’s legal team argues that Tesla’s design choices created a foreseeable risk of occupants being trapped inside a burning vehicle following a crash. The lawsuit alleges that while Tesla included mechanical backups accessible from inside the vehicle, these were hidden, unlabeled, and impractical to use in an emergency situation.
The complaint further alleges that rear passengers were left with only a concealed mechanical release that was obscured, non-intuitive, and highly unlikely to be located or operated in the smoke and chaos of a post-crash fire.
Andrew McDevitt, the lead attorney for the Bauer family, stated that the couple’s deaths were preventable and were the result of Tesla introducing a hazard that did not previously exist in vehicles. The family issued a statement expressing their grief and their hope that the lawsuit will bring justice for their loved ones and force Tesla to address the alleged design flaws.
Tesla has yet to respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.