One of the most talked-about features of the Tesla Model S, the pop-out door handles, is blamed for the death of a man during a fiery crash.

Last February, Omar Awan lost control of his Model S and the vehicle crashed into a palm tree. The motorized door handles allegedly prevented police officers from opening the doors as the car filled with smoke and flames because they were retracted, according to a wrongful death lawsuit, Bloomberg reports.

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The lawsuit alleges that the fire was started from the vehicle’s battery pack. The Tesla Model S door handles sit flush with the bodywork and come out when the key fob is detected nearby.

“Fire engulfed the car and burned Dr. Awan beyond recognition – all because the Model S has inaccessible door handles, no other way to open the doors, and an unreasonably dangerous fire risk,” according to the Oct. 10 suit.

It goes on saying that the death of Omar Awan was caused by smoke inhalation, adding that he sustained no internal injuries or broken bones during the crash, suggesting that he could have survived if the door handles were accessible. The Model S continued to burn even after the authorities intervened, reigniting for several hours even after the flames were extinguished and the car was towed, the lawsuit states.

Consumer Reports has listed broken door handles as one of the most common problems for Tesla Model S owners, with some of them having also complained about being unable to operate the doors of their cars when the handles are covered in snow or ice.

Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire
Tesla’s Pop-Out Door Handles Blamed For Man’s Death in Model S Fire