Tesla Model 3 2022 Crash Lawsuit: EV is Not Defective, Company Defends After it Burst Into Flames

Tesla is now defending its Model 3 electric vehicle after it was involved in a 2022 fatal crash where the driver was allegedly unable to steer in the right direction because of Autopilot, which resulted in a massive fire. The vehicle burst into flames after it hit the tree, with the plaintiff, the driver's widow, claiming that the Model 3 was a defective vehicle and should have been recalled.

However, Tesla said that it was not defective and was working as advertised, but later, its statement was also contradicted.

Tesla Model 3 2022 Crash: EV is Not Defective, Company Defends

Tesla has responded (via Ars Technica) to a recent lawsuit filed by the aggrieved widow of a 2022 Model 3 crash that claimed the life of Hans von Ohain, the driver and owner of the said electric vehicle. The company said that the Model 3 was not defective, contrary to the claims of the victim's wife, Nora Bass, in a recent lawsuit she filed against the company last May.

The company claimed that the 2021 Model 3 EV, the car that von Ohain drove during the crash that claimed his life, was not defective and did not need to be recalled.

Moreover, Tesla said that when von Ohain bought the vehicle, no alterations or changes were made to the Model 3. However, a contradictory statement from the company suggested that the car may not have been in the same condition as when it was bought.

2021 Model 3 Burst Into Flames: Who is in the Wrong?

The said 2021 Model 3 crash claimed the life of von Ohain as while using the Autopilot, his car steered in the wrong direction, and Bass claimed that he tried to steer it in the right direction, but the assistive driving tech did not permit him to do so. This led to him crashing into a tree, with the Model 3 bursting into flames afterward, which led to his death two years ago.

Tesla EVs and Its Autonomous Driving Scrutinies

While Tesla has been cleared of previous accidents and crash lawsuits, various complaints against the company have centered on federal regulators and their opposition to the company's development of its EVs. Last May, the NHTSA ordered Tesla to recall its clean energy cars and fix its Autopilot by July, and failure to do so could result in a massive $135 million fine.

However, not only that, the recent decision of an administrative judge has now allowed the agencies looking to pursue a case against Tesla about false advertisement of its Full-Self Driving (FSD). This centers on another massive case against Tesla's self-driving technology, with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) interested in pushing this case.

Several crashes involving Tesla electric vehicles have centered on different accidents, including swerving, hitting trees, and crashes that led to the EV bursting into flames, but none yet have led to the company being held liable. A new case against Tesla is fighting against its technology, including its alleged misleading claims regarding its safety, which the company is looking to defend.