Lawsuit Alleges Defective Tesla Airbags, Seatbelts Failed in Crash
A lawsuit filed by a Maryland woman against Tesla alleges that a Model 3’s airbags failed to deploy in a severe car accident she was involved in.
According to the plaintiffs, their vehicle was traveling in the left-hand lane when another vehicle attempted to merge. The vehicle struck the Model 3 on the left-hand side forcing the vehicle up onto the median. According to the plaintiff, who was a passenger in the Model 3, the vehicle was totaled, but none of the airbags deployed. The plaintiff’s head struck the interior of the vehicle. She alleges she suffered traumatic brain injury as a result of the accident. She further claims that the front-passenger seatbelt failed to properly restrain her facilitating the head injury.
Did Tesla Exaggerate the Safety Features of the Model 3?
Among the many claims that Tesla makes concerning the Model 3, it assures buyers that it is among the safest vehicles to purchase. Tesla claims that they engineered the Model 3 to be the safest car ever made. However, the failure of the safety features in this accident seems to indicate that the vehicle is far less safe than advertised.
Assessing Damages
Let’s assume that the woman proves her case and the safety features failed to deploy and this was wholly the fault of Tesla. The question then turns to damages.
In a lawsuit like this, if the ruling came in for the plaintiff, Tesla would be on the hook for paying the plaintiff’s medical expenses, including future medical expenses related to her injury. If the plaintiff lost money due to the fact that they couldn’t work because of the injury, Tesla would also be on the hook for compensating their last wages. Lastly, Tesla would be responsible for compensating the victim if the accident reduced her quality of life. This is known as pain and suffering damages.
The article lists the plaintiff’s injury as “traumatic brain injury”. That specific terminology is useful for lawyers because it could mean anything from a minor concussion to severe brain damage resulting in life-long impairments. The extent of the plaintiff’s injuries means a lot to the case. If the plaintiff suffered a mild concussion that disappeared on its own, then she may not be entitled to much money at all. If the plaintiff’s injuries persist, make it more difficult to do her job, or otherwise impact the quality of her life in perpetuity, that’s when the damages go into the millions.
Assessing the damages in a personal injury lawsuit is different for every person. Every person’s life is changed differently due to a new injury. Considerations include whether or not a person will be able to enjoy hobbies or leisure activities that they once enjoyed, and whether or not they’ll be able to sustain gainful employment moving forward. In cases where the injuries are permanent and do affect employability, you see much higher settlements and jury awards.
Talk to a Florida Defective Auto Parts Attorney
If a defective auto part contributed to your injury, you may be able to sue the manufacturer. Call the Coral Gables tire defect attorneys at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we can help.
Resource:
dailyhornet.com/2020/lawsuit-claims-tesla-airbags-seat-belts-failed-in-car-accident/
