Overview

• Krysta Tsukahara’s parents filed an amended wrongful‑death complaint in Alameda County on Oct. 2, adding Tesla as a defendant and alleging defective doors prevented her escape.
• The suit says Tsukahara survived the Nov. 27, 2024 Piedmont crash with minor injuries but died from smoke inhalation and burns after the truck lost power and doors would not open.
• Manual rear‑door egress requires removing a rubber mat and pulling a hidden cable, a step the filing argues is impractical to locate and operate during a fire.
• Three of four occupants, including the intoxicated driver, died in the high‑speed crash; a friend following the Cybertruck broke a window and rescued the lone survivor.
• NHTSA opened a preliminary probe last month into stuck‑door complaints on some Teslas, and recent cases and a $240 million Florida verdict add legal pressure as Tesla says it is working on a door‑release redesign.