Tesla is facing a wrongful death lawsuit over a fiery crash in South Florida
Florida Law Group Car Accidents, In the News, Personal Injury
The details of the suit and what this could mean for your personal injury case
In February, Dr. Omar Awan, a 48 year old anesthesiologist and father of five, died when his leased blue Model S Tesla collided with a palm tree and burst into flames.
The lithium-ion battery was the culprit; it ignited on impact. Bystanders and first responders would have saved his life, but the car’s retractable door handles malfunctioned, trapping him inside the vehicle. These door handles were supposed to extend when the car’s key fob is nearby, but because of the fire, they did not perform as expected. There is no other way to open the doors.
The suit, filed in October, claims that the defects of the vehicle “rendered it a death trap”.
Family attorney Stuart Grossman said that the Model S is “techy”, “overengineered”, and “loves to burn”. But Tesla has stated that the Model S has “the best safety rating of any car tested”, and that “Tesla vehicles are engineered to be the safest cars in the world”.
However, this tragic crash is not an isolated incident.
Another suit was filed over a similar fiery crash, started by the battery, that killed two teenagers in May 2018. Two other lawsuits have been filed over fatal crashes involving Tesla’s Autopilot technology.
The outcome of these suits remains to be seen, but a jury/judge may find a connection between these tragedies and Tesla’s vehicle manufacturing and may find Tesla liable, and the families of the deceased may receive a payout. Or, Tesla may decide to settle out of court for these damages.
If these families were merely trying to recover damages from the insurance company, or trying to sue Tesla on their own, they would have a low chance at recovering compensation. Tesla is a major corporation with millions of dollars and a strong team of lawyers, scientists, and auto manufacturing experts. In order to go up against Tesla in court with a wrongful death lawsuit, it is absolutely imperative that they had a skilled, reputable attorney.
If no one had died in these incidents, but had instead been seriously injured, an auto product liability claim could have been made. But the crash victim or the family of the crash victim would still need an elite lawyer on their side who can help them understand the most promising course of legal action and advocate for their best interests in court.
Your accident may not have been entirely your fault, and the accident that took the life of a family member or close friend may not have been theirs either. If a manufacturer does not ensure the safety of their vehicles, attorneys can fight for justice.
The Florida Law Group is an elite legal team serving the Tampa Bay area and beyond. We have won millions of dollars for car accident victims and specialize in auto product liability and other car accident cases! Together, our team has over 100 years of collective experience. We have been nationally recognized by The National Association of Distinguished Counsel, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Best Attorneys of America, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum®, and other organizations. Our lead trial attorney, Chris Limberopoulos, our lead trial attorney, is a Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist, a distinction that only 1% of lawyers has achieved.
Contact us today for a free case evaluation if you believe that your car’s manufacturer, or your loved one’s car’s manufacturer, is to blame for an accident that resulted in injury or death. We proudly offer all legal services to our clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you don’t pay anything unless you receive a settlement!
