Woman sues Tesla after her husband dies trapped in Model 3 after fiery crash
By Ryan General
August 22, 2023
A woman has filed a lawsuit against Tesla, accusing the electric vehicle manufacturer of being responsible for the death of her husband in a fatal car crash.
Pursuing trial: The plaintiff, Jiyoung Yoon, is reportedly aiming for a jury trial, which indicates she is unlikely to settle out of court.
In court documents acquired by TMZ, Yoon attributed the crash to a malfunction of her husband’s 2020 Tesla Model 3 during a snowstorm on March 12, 2022. Yoon, who is pursuing unspecified damage, alleges that the particular model was defective in its design, manufacturing and warning systems. She asserts that the vehicle was “unreasonably dangerous for its designed and intended purposes.”
An untimely death: Jyung Woo Hahn, 46, was purportedly driving on Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rockland County, New York, when an error caused him to collide with a tree. While Hahn reportedly survived the initial impact and explosion, he was trapped inside his Tesla as the vehicle burst into flames, ultimately resulting in his death.
Ruptured battery: Reports indicate that the source of the fire was the Tesla Model 3’s lithium-ion battery. Due to the nature of the battery, firefighters who responded to the scene required over 1,000 gallons of water just to suppress the flames. Nanuet firefighters highlighted the difficulty posed by the 375-volt lithium-ion battery, which spans the entirety of the car’s floor. The battery’s rupture led to a phenomenon known as “thermal runaway,” making it extremely difficult to extinguish the blaze.
Tesla’s safety concerns: Tesla has faced controversies over safety issues in the past. The company had previously moved to recall nearly 363,000 vehicles due to issues with self-driving software. Incidents involving steering wheel defects and fatal crashes in recent years have also resulted in several investigations against the company.
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