Tesla Model Y Lawsuit Claims Electronic Door Defect Trapped Passenger in Burning Vehicle

Lawsuit alleges Tesla’s battery and door designs created a deadly combination when a post-crash fire disabled the vehicle’s electrical systems.

The family of a New York woman has filed a lawsuit alleging the defective design of a Tesla vehicle’s electronic door systems trapped her in the car after a fire ignited.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Francis X. Sheehan II and Azinia Thomas, as co-administrators of the estate of Diana Irene Sheehan, in New York State Supreme Court on August 7. Tesla Inc., Tesla Motors New York LLC and an unidentified company listed as ABC Corporation are named as defendants, and the case was removed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on August 25.

According to the lawsuit, Tesla was aware of prior incidents and other information indicating that its lithium-ion battery systems could ignite after collisions and that a resulting loss of electrical power could interfere with operation of the vehicle’s electronic doors. Plaintiffs allege the company failed to adequately address those risks or provide occupants with a sufficiently accessible means of escape during an emergency.

Tesla Entrapment Risks

The allegations are similar to those raised in other lawsuits involving Tesla fires, which have questioned whether the company’s reliance on electronically operated doors can create an additional hazard when a crash damages the vehicle’s electrical system.

Earlier this year, the daughters of a California man filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging their father died after becoming trapped inside a burning Tesla Model Y following an Autopilot crash. The lawsuit claims malfunctioning door handles prevented him from escaping as the fire spread through the vehicle.

Another lawsuit filed in March involved a driver who alleges the electronic door locks on his Tesla stopped working during a vehicle fire, delaying his escape. He ultimately survived but suffered severe burns and other life-threatening injuries.

Tesla Door Defect Allegations

According to the complaint, Diana Irene Sheehan was a front-seat passenger in a 2023 Tesla Model Y when the vehicle was involved in an accident in White Plains, New York, on September 16, 2024.

During the crash, the entire left side of the vehicle was sheared off and detached from the body. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and died.

The collision also damaged the high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack, causing it to catch fire. The lawsuit claims Sheehan became trapped inside the burning vehicle because the push-button electronic doors stopped working when the vehicle lost power, while the mechanical emergency releases were concealed and difficult to locate.

“By reason of said collision and the aforesaid crashworthiness and design defects, Diana Irene Sheehan became trapped inside the burning Tesla vehicle, unable to escape, where she experienced unimaginable pain, suffering and pre-death terror until she succumbed to the smoke and fire that took her young life.”

— Francis X. Sheehan II et al. v. Tesla Inc. et al.

The complaint alleges Tesla knew or should have known that its lithium-ion batteries could ignite following crashes and that its electronic door systems could leave occupants trapped when electrical power was lost. Plaintiffs claim previous incidents, internal memos and other accidents involving fires, trapped occupants and deaths made those risks foreseeable.

Plaintiffs further allege Tesla vehicles are prone to fires that can be difficult to extinguish once they begin, compounding the danger created by electronic doors that may become inoperable following a crash. They maintain Tesla could have reduced those risks through safer designs and additional safety features but failed to do so.

The lawsuit raises allegations of negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, strict products liability and loss of consortium. It seeks compensation for pain and suffering, pre-death terror, medical expenses, funeral and burial expenses, loss of earnings capacity and other damages.

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