Published 18:44 IST, October 24th 2019
Lawsuit alleges Doctor died because burning Tesla doors wouldn't open
A US doctor, Omar Awan died while driving his blue model S Tesla car across road in South Florida where he lost control of his car and hit a palm tree.
- World News
- 3 min read
A 48-year-old US doctor, Omar Awan was driving his S Tesla in South Florida where he lost control of his car and hit a palm tree. However, according to his family lawyers, the crash did not kill him. Awan's family lawyers have instead blamed the car's futuristic designed doors that did not open during the crash.
After the crash, Tesla's lithium-ion battery caught fire and resulted in filling the car with smoke and flames. The crowd gathered around the accident spot were unable to help him despite multiple attempts. This happened because the car's automatic door handles which are supposed to operate automatically when it detects something wrong malfunctioned the crowd present there weren't able to open the doors and save Awan. Due to inaccessible door handles, the fire caught the car and ultimately killed Awan.
Awan was environmentally sensitive and safety conscious: Stuart Grossman
A lawsuit was filed against Tesla by his family lawyers which says that it is a death trap. Awan, who was a 48-year-old anesthesiologist and father of five leased the Model S for two reasons. His family attorney Stuart Grossman said that Awan was environmentally sensitive and safety conscious. Grossman added Tesla claimed that its Model S had the best safety rating for cars, which is the only reason Awan went with the 2016 Tesla. Awan's death is one of the recent incidents that has led to the condemnation of Tesla's innovative technology.
Lawsuits condemned Tesla's autopilot mode
Many lawsuits have been filed against Tesla that have condemned the company's autopilot system and an automatic driver-assistance feature. The lawsuit states that the features added in the are defective and dangerous. On the other hand, Tesla argued that high-speed collisions can result in fires whether the car is powered by gasoline or batteries.
According to the medical reports, Awan was unidentifiable on the scene. His clothes and hair were completely burnt and a yellow metal ring was found from his left ring finger. When the firefighters came to extinguish the flame of Awan's Tesla, its engine started igniting and burnt again.
(With inputs from agencies)
Updated 20:44 IST, October 24th 2019