Family sues Tesla after Cybertruck owner dies in – Business News
A Tesla owner was burned alive in his Cybertruck after the stainless steel beast erupted in a 5,000-degree inferno so intense it brought about his bones to disintegrate, in line with a wrongful death lawsuit filed in Texas.
Michael Sheehan, 47, purchased the futuristic pickup in April 2024. Just three months later on Aug. 3, the truck veered off-road, slammed into a culvert and burst into flames close to Beach City, round 30 miles east of Houston.
The raging fire trapped Sheehan inside the vehicle because the batteries powering the $100,000 SUV went into catastrophic failure, courtroom filings say. The blaze was so sizzling Sheehan’s skeletal system actually fractured from the heat.
Michael Sheehan, 47, died on Aug. 3 of final 12 months after his Tesla Cybertruck crashed about 30 miles east of Houston. Peevey Funerals
“He was eight inches shorter in length than he was before he burned,” lawyer S. Scott West informed The Independent. “That’s thermal fracture.”
Sheehan’s widow, Shannon, and his mother and father filed the swimsuit in June, accusing Tesla of promoting a vehicle so defectively designed it remodeled a survivable crash into a fiery death.
“This was a single-vehicle crash,” the petition states. “The crash forces were survivable… except for the fire, ergonomic shortcomings, and deficient crashworthiness.”
West, a former industrial design engineer turned trial lawyer, blasted the company’s priorities.
“Not only are you riding on top of 3,000 pounds of batteries, this ‘spaceship’ design is a double-edged sword,” West informed The Independent.
The image above from August of final 12 months exhibits investigators on the scene in Beach City, Texas. KHOU11
He alleged Tesla put aesthetics forward of fundamental security, making it practically unattainable for Sheehan to flee as soon as the truck misplaced energy. Instead, Sheehan discovered himself locked in a firetrap.
The lawsuit says the Cybertruck’s electrically operated doorways can’t be opened as soon as energy is cut. Exterior handles fail, and the guide release latches inside are “unreasonably difficult to locate in an emergency.”
Tesla, the submitting continues, gave homeowners “insufficient warnings or training” on how to exit post-crash.
“Michael was a Mensa-level guy, very, very smart,” West informed The Independent.
The swimsuit claims the Cybertruck’s battery system was “hyper volatile” and susceptible to “thermal runaway,” a chain response of short-circuits that unleashes uncontrollable heat. KHOU11
“But when Tesla delivered this [Cybertruck] to him, the instructions they gave him were woefully inadequate to handle a situation like this.”
West acknowledged that Sheehan had alcohol in his system, a reality famous in the grievance. But, he argued, “that shouldn’t sign his death warrant.”
In reality, the lawsuit additionally targets 3180 Bar, LLC, doing business as The Barn Whiskey Bar, the place Sheehan was allegedly overserved on the evening of the crash.
Attorneys accuse the bar of persevering with to serve Sheehan regardless of his situation and failing to intervene or present secure alternate options.
The raging fire trapped Sheehan inside the vehicle because the batteries powering the $100,000 SUV went into catastrophic failure, courtroom filings say. The image above is a file photograph of a Tesla Cybertruck. NurPhoto through Getty Images
Sheehan, who labored as a registered nurse, was remembered by family members as a devoted husband with a “gentle spirit.”
His obituary stated he liked cooking for household and mates, was enthusiastic about zombie films, and lived life “authentically” and “unapologetically.”
“Knowing and loving Michael was a true joy,” his obituary learn. “He made a profound impact on so many lives. He was unique, authentic, caring, funny and he lived his life unapologetically.”
Sheehan was the primary individual to die in a Cybertruck crash for the reason that model launched in November 2023, in line with The Independent.
Sheehan’s widow, Shannon, and his mother and father filed swimsuit in June 2025, accusing Tesla of promoting a vehicle so defectively designed it remodeled a survivable crash into a fiery death. Christopher Sadowski
Months later, three school college students in California had been burned to death in one other Cybertruck wreck.
In April, USC basketball recruit Alijah Arenas — son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas — was positioned in an induced coma after a fiery Cybertruck crash in Los Angeles.
Tesla has recalled the Cybertruck not less than eight instances since launch for issues starting from accelerator pedals that indifferent to physique panels that delaminated.
The model has additionally suffered steep depreciation on resale and sluggish gross sales as rivals gain ground.
Alijah Arenas, son of retired NBA star Gilbert Arenas, was positioned in an induced coma after a Cybertruck crash. AP
West stated he hopes the Sheehan case forces Tesla and Elon Musk to lastly confront the hazards of their automobiles.
“Every religion has a version of hell, and every version of hell has fire,” he informed The Independent.
“It is the most excruciating and longest torture of any death. The nerves are literally exposed to everything. It’s horrific.”
He added: “There’s my challenge to Elon. Put me out of business. Make these vehicles so safe that I don’t have to do this anymore.”
Tesla and The Barn Whiskey Bar didn’t reply to a request for remark.
