A Tacoma man has filed a lawsuit against Tesla, claiming defects in his 2018 Model 3 caused a deadly crash that killed his wife and prevented rescuers from helping them. The incident occurred on January 7, 2023, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated out of control. The suit highlights issues with acceleration, braking, fire risk, and door handles.
On January 7, 2023, Jeffery Dennis and his wife Wendy were driving a 2018 Tesla Model 3 on S. 56th Street in Tacoma, Washington, when the vehicle "suddenly and rapidly accelerated out of control," according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The acceleration lasted at least five seconds, reaching speeds of up to 60 mph as estimated by witnesses. Jeffery swerved to avoid other vehicles but crashed into a utility pole, causing the car to burst into flames.
Wendy Dennis died from several blunt-force injuries, while Jeffery suffered severe leg burns and other serious injuries. The lawsuit alleges that Tesla's automatic emergency braking system failed to activate, despite being designed to apply brakes in unavoidable frontal collisions. It further claims the system is programmed not to engage when a driver is maneuvering to avoid a collision, and that Tesla was aware of these malfunctions.
Compounding the tragedy, the suit points to defects in the battery design, describing it as "highly explosive and unprotected," which increased the risk of a catastrophic fire after impact. Bystanders attempted to rescue the couple by breaking the windows with a baseball bat, but the intense heat from the fire forced them to retreat, leaving them to wait for emergency responders.
The door handles, powered by the battery, became inoperable when power was lost in the crash. "Potential rescuers expect to be able to open the car’s doors with the handles," the lawsuit states. "Unless they have been specifically trained about Tesla’s electric door latch design, they wouldn’t know that the only way to get into the car is to break a window." Manual override buttons inside were hard to find and use, and exterior handles do not function without power.
The complaint seeks punitive damages in California, where the Model 3 was designed and manufactured, along with wrongful death damages, medical expenses, lost wages, and other claims. It requests a jury trial. This case echoes broader concerns, including a September federal investigation into Tesla door complaints and a recent lawsuit by parents of California students trapped in a burning Tesla.