Tesla Sued Following Fatal Cybertruck Incident
Los Angeles, CA – Tesla is facing a wrongful death lawsuit from the parents of 19-year-old Kysta Kystuhara, who died following a November 2023 incident involving a Cybertruck. The lawsuit alleges a defective door mechanism prevented their daughter from escaping the vehicle after it caught fire, contributing to her death from burns and smoke inhalation.
According to a claim filed by the family and reported by The New York Times, the Cybertruck lacked a functional, accessible, and visible manual door opening system, as well as a backup emergency exit. The family asserts that had a readily available escape route existed, Kystuhara ”would be alive today.”
The lawsuit details that Kystuhara, a passenger in the vehicle, “suffered unimaginable pain and emotional suffering before she died.” Investigators found the manual release for the rear door concealed under a rubber mat within the door storage area. The vehicle’s battery may have been compromised in the accident.
this incident adds to growing scrutiny of Tesla’s vehicle safety features. last month, the national Highway Traffic Safety Governance (NHTSA) launched an inquiry into Tesla’s Model Y, prompted by complaints including reports of parents being unable to remove children from the back seat. In August, Tesla was ordered to pay a substantial sum to plaintiffs in a case where the company’s Autopilot system was blamed for a fatal crash.
The parents of Kystuhara also filed a separate lawsuit earlier this year against the family of the Cybertruck’s driver, who also died in the accident. Tesla has not yet responded to requests for comment from the Associated Press regarding this latest lawsuit.
