Tesla Owner Files Lawsuit After Unintended Acceleration

Jan 06, 2017 12:05 PM EST | Danica Esguerra

Tesla Motors now faces an issue with regards to their EV. An owner of one of Tesla's vehicles files a lawsuit after an unintended acceleration of the vehicle.

Owner Ji Chang Son claims that the Model X from Tesla Motors, which he owns, accelerated without his command last September 2016. He claims that the vehicle "spontaneously began to accelerate at full power," resulting in a crash in the garage. The vehicle went on until it came to a stop in the living room. Because of this, Son filed a lawsuit against the electric-vehicle maker and asks for five million dollars as payment for the damages.

In an investigation performed by the company itself, it is revealed that Son had his foot on the accelerator the night of the accident. The Model X's data onboard clearly shows that Son had his foot on the accelerator during the accident. A Tesla spokesperson said that "it conclusively shows that the crash was the result of Mr. Son pressing the accelerator all the to 100%. It clearly shows that the vehicle is not at fault during the accident."

Son also threatened Tesla that he will be using his status as a celebrity in Korea in order for the company to pay up the damages. In a statement from the Tesla spokesperson, he said that Son threatened to use his celebrity status to hurt the company unless Tesla acknowledges that the accident is caused by their vehicle, along with paying the fines dictated in the lawsuit. "However, evidence clearly shows that the vehicle was not at fault. Our policy is to stand by the evidence and not to give in to ultimatums."

This is not the first time someone has filed a lawsuit against an automobile company. Companies like Audi and Toyota also received lawsuits pertaining to sudden unintended acceleration by their vehicles. According to Tesla, their vehicles have a way to prevent mistakes in the pedals. Sensors are scattered all over the car that will detect the usage of the accelerator pedal, whether accidental or intended.

Tesla unveils an update on their Autopilot software earlier this month. Hopefully, this update will help solve different issues with regards to their Autopilot feature embedded in their EV.

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