Fiery Crash
An anesthesiologist named Omar Awan died in a fiery wreck last winter when first responders were unable to open the futuristic retracting door handles on his Tesla Model S after it slammed into a palm tree in South Florida.
Now, a wrongful death lawsuit alleges that Awan’s death was directly caused by Tesla’s iconic door handle design, Bloomberg reports.
“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,” reads the suit that was filed earlier this month.
Up in Smoke
Tesla didn’t comment on the lawsuit to Bloomberg.
Back in 2015, Consumer Reports listed broken door handles as one of the most common problems with the vehicle type in question.
According to the lawsuit, Bloomberg reports, Awan died from smoke inhalation — and the wreck reignited several times after firefighters put the blaze out.
READ MORE: Tesla’s Futuristic Door Handles Blamed for Death in Fiery Wreck [Bloomberg]
More on the accident: Report: In Fatal Crash, Door Handles Fail on Burning Tesla