Michael Sheehan, 47, perished in a horrific manner when his Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames after a crash, with the fire burning so intensely that his skeletal system disintegrated, according to a gut-wrenching lawsuit filed by his widow and parents against Elon Musk’s EV giant.
The Independent reports that in a tragic incident that has sent shockwaves through the EV industry, Michael Sheehan, a 47-year-old registered nurse from Texas, lost his life in a gruesome manner when his Tesla Cybertruck caught fire after a crash. According to a lawsuit filed by Sheehan’s family against the electric vehicle giant, the fire burned at such an intense temperature that Sheehan’s bones literally disintegrated, leaving his body eight inches shorter than before the accident.
The lawsuit, filed on June 13 in Harris County District Court, alleges that the Cybertruck’s “defective design” trapped Sheehan inside the burning vehicle, leading to his untimely and agonizing demise. Attorney S. Scott West, representing Sheehan’s family, stated that the single-vehicle crash would have normally been survivable, but the Cybertruck’s allegedly flawed design turned it into a death trap.
West, who worked as an industrial design engineer before becoming a lawyer, pointed out several shortcomings in the Cybertruck’s design that he believes contributed to Sheehan’s death. The complaint alleges that Tesla prioritized aesthetics over functionality, using “hyper volatile” battery systems that are prone to thermal runaway – a chain reaction of short-circuits resulting in uncontrollable temperature escalation.
Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that once power was lost in the crash, the Cybertruck’s electrically operated doors became impossible to open, and the emergency manual door release handles were unreasonably difficult to locate. West argued that Tesla could have opted for safer battery cells with slower thermal propagation, giving occupants more time to escape in the event of a crash.
The complaint also maintains that Cybertrucks are “not crashworthy” due to the proximity of drive motors to battery modules, faulty energy-absorbing structures, and a lack of consideration for component movement during a crash. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that Tesla provides insufficient warnings and training to Cybertruck owners regarding safe exit procedures post-crash.
West acknowledged that Sheehan had some alcohol in his system at the time of the accident but emphasized that this should not have been a death sentence. He argued that it was Tesla’s “gross negligence” that ultimately caused Sheehan’s demise.
Sheehan’s tragic death is not an isolated incident. In the months following his accident, three college students in California perished in a similar manner when their Cybertruck veered off the road and caught fire. Another incident involved USC basketball recruit Alijah Arenas, who was placed in an induced coma due to smoke inhalation after his Cybertruck crashed and burst into flames.
Tesla has faced numerous recalls and lawsuits related to the Cybertruck since its release, with issues ranging from malfunctioning accelerator pedals to faulty windshield wiper motors and delaminating body panels.
Read more at the Independent here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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