A lawsuit has been filed against Tesla in Florida over an alleged suspension failure that may have caused a fatal crash last year.
The lawsuit claims that the 2021 Tesla Model 3 had a “defective and unreasonably dangerous suspension that may cause loss of control during ordinary and foreseeable driving conditions,” per Reuters. The legal action is related to an accident that sparked a federal probe last year.
According to the lawsuit, the vehicle’s driver, Nicholas G. Garcia, brought the Model 3 into a Tesla Store four days before the accident citing problems with “controllability/steering, suspension, battery and electronic system, and an ability to open the doors.” The Tesla service manager is accused of “negligently” inspecting the vehicle.
Read Also: Tesla Shipped Model 3 With A Missing Brake Pad And Told Customer It Sounded Normal
According to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report from November, the car was speeding before crashing into two trees and catching fire. Both the driver, 20, and his front-seat passenger, the 19-year-old Jazmin Alcala, died in the accident.
According to a police report seen by Reuters, the vehicle’s underbody stuck the roadway after going over a hump in the center of an intersection. The driver then lost control and the vehicle veered off the roadway before the collision.
Tesla recalled nearly 3,000 Model 3s and Model Ys in the U.S. over a suspension issue last year and further recalled 21,599 Model Ys made in China saying the suspension link could fall out of the steering knuckle under extreme stress conditions.
Tesla is facing heightened scrutiny over the safety of its vehicles and so far in February, we have reported on at least five recalls and several other investigations related to its vehicles.
The lawsuit is seeking $30,000 each from Telsa and the service manager.
