A Washington state man has filed a federal lawsuit against Tesla, alleging that his wife died in a fiery crash involving their 2018 Model 3. The plaintiff, Jeffery Dennis, claims that the vehicle’s electronic door handles failed to function after the car lost power, trapping him and his wife, Wendy Dennis, inside the burning vehicle. The incident occurred when the car reportedly accelerated uncontrollably and crashed into a utility pole.
The lawsuit alleges that the Model 3 accelerated rapidly and uncontrollably for approximately five seconds before the fatal crash on January 7, 2023, in Tacoma. The impact triggered a severe fire that engulfed the vehicle’s cabin and continued to burn for several hours. Bystanders who rushed to the scene were reportedly driven back by the intense flames.
The lawsuit further alleges that the explosion exposed the vehicle’s high voltage battery pack, which contains thousands of highly explosive batteries. This resulted in a hard-to-extinguish fire that blocked access to the vehicle’s occupants. The plaintiff’s lawyers argue that the fire grew so rapidly that it became too hot for rescuers to react effectively.
The lawsuit also accuses Tesla of having defective acceleration and braking systems, alleging that the automatic emergency braking system failed to activate despite the impending collision. This lawsuit comes amidst ongoing investigations into whether Tesla’s doors trap occupants when low-voltage power fails, a concern fueled by a series of similar lawsuits.
In a separate incident in Wisconsin, families filed a lawsuit over a Model S fire that killed five people in Verona on November 1, 2024. The victims were reportedly trapped inside the burning vehicle, unable to escape due to inoperable doors. The lawsuit alleges that Tesla ignored years of warnings that electronic releases fail after power loss.
In California, the parents of 21-year-old Krysta Michelle Tsukahara filed a lawsuit claiming that a Cybertruck became a death trap when it burst into flames after hitting a tree in Alameda County on November 27, 2024. Tsukahara survived the crash but was unable to escape due to the vehicle’s lack of exterior handles and reliance on low-voltage buttons that failed when the fire started.
All three lawsuits allege that Tesla was aware for years that its electric door systems routinely fail when power is lost and ignored repeated warnings from owners, first responders, and regulators. The lawsuits also claim that the company understated the fire risks associated with its lithium-ion battery packs.