Instead, the larger story is that Tesla is currently dealing with seismic legal problems. This follows a fatal accident with its Cybertruck that resulted in the death of two underage riders. On November 27, 2024, Jack Nelson, 20, and Krysta Tsukahara, 19, were taking advantage of a ride in the roomy back seat of a Cybertruck. Out of nowhere, the car sped into a tree at 150mph. The fatal accident on Autopilot has cast this issue back into focus, and for very good reason—the design and safety implications are shocking.
Jack Nelson’s parents have filed a lawsuit against Tesla. They claim that the company was aware of a design defect in the Cybertruck for several years but failed to take sufficient or timely steps to remedy it. They claim that this defect was a direct cause of the fatal crash that took their son’s life. The lawsuit underscores that Tesla’s negligence in doing anything to address the issue is what ultimately resulted in the tragic outcome.
The California Highway Patrol are investigating the crash and verified details. To make the situation worse, on impact the Cybertruck itself burst into flames. Krysta Tsukahara’s parents recently filed a similar suit against Tesla, bringing both sides of this tragedy to court. This decision is part of an increasing overall scrutiny around the West American car manufacturer’s safety protocols and vehicle design.
Plaintiffs say Tesla had ample opportunity to repair the purported defect. They say this defect led to the death of each of the two young adults. They argue that the company’s decision to postpone any remedial action represents a willful disregard of passenger safety on the part of the company. This very sad news comes on the heels of another high-profile August incident. In that situation, a Florida jury recently required Tesla to pay $243 million in damages to the family of a 22-year-old woman killed by one of its cars while it was driving in Autopilot mode.
Jack Nelson’s parents are represented by the iconic Bay Area plaintiff’s firm Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger. This firm has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s leading firms for complex litigation. Given that, the firm is dead set on holding Tesla’s feet to the fire. They criticize the firm for not putting consumer safety first.
As the investigations continue, Tesla is coming under increasing scrutiny for its safety practices. As the legal proceedings continue, all eyes have turned to its vehicle design. The ruling against these lawsuits would be a huge victory for the company and would likely allow it to pursue the controversial plan to operate indefinitely.