The recent spate of lawsuits involving Tesla door handles shows no signs of abating. In a new lawsuit, the automaker has been sued after an Uber driver crashed the Model Y crossover he was driving and became trapped inside. Although the plaintiff survived the crash and a passerby managed to free him from the burning vehicle by smashing a window, he suffered serious injuries. The incident again highlights the dangers of electronic door handles, which may not function properly or at all after an accident.
Related: Tesla Sued After Model S Owner Claims Defective Door Handles Hurt EV Value
Model Y Crash Detailed
The plaintiff in this case is Wondafrash Gebreyes Gebremedihen, who was driving a 2025 Model Y on the I-405 San Diego Freeway in California on September 26, 2025. The plaintiff drives for Uber and was alone when the crash occurred, with the vehicle traveling at a high speed when it hit a freeway entrance sign and eventually crashed into a concrete wall. The car burst into flames and the plaintiff was unable to exit the vehicle.
“After the collision, good Samaritans attempted to render aid to Plaintiff, but the driver-side door of the subject Tesla Model Y could not be opened from the outside of the vehicle, trapping Plaintiff inside the burning vehicle,” stated the lawsuit. “Another passerby was eventually able to smash open the driver-side window, and good Samaritans were able to extricate Plaintiff from the vehicle just prior to when the fire completely engulfed the vehicle.”
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Gebremedihen claims to have suffered “catastrophic, life-threatening injuries” due to the fact that the Tesla’s doors couldn’t be opened from the outside. According to court documents, the doors can’t be opened from the outside if the crash causes a loss of power, while a manual interior door handle release can’t be operated by an occupant that has become incapacitated due to the crash.
This lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: Wondafrash Gebreyes Gebremedihen v. Tesla, Inc., et al.
What It Means
Autoblog / LeRoy Marion
Thousands of modern vehicles are equipped with similar electric door handles to the Tesla Model Y. Most have manual releases for the front and rear doors, but these designs are not standardized, so many trapped occupants will not know how to exit the vehicle in an emergency.
China has already banned these electronic, flush-style door handles due to safety concerns, and we expect other regions to adopt a similar ruling. In January, a U.S. lawmaker proposed a new bill called the SAFE Exit Act. Endorsed by Consumer Reports, it would require all cars to have easily accessible and identifiable manual door releases.
Until these rules come into effect, occupants of Tesla models and other brands with similar door handle designs are vulnerable to being trapped in a vehicle in a crash. One owner of a Rivian R1S conducted his own test of his SUV’s door handles and concluded his kids would be “dead” in an emergency.
No design or aerodynamic advantage of an electronic door handle is worth more than someone’s life, and automakers must urgently address the issue before more lives are put at risk.
