Victims’ families sue Tesla over deadly Piedmont Cybertruck crash, blaming defective door handles
The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, says change needs to happen to save lives in the future.
“What would really help is just a minimum safety standard,” said Brooks. “So that no matter what car you get into, it’s going to be obvious to you how to operate the manual release when you’re in a crash. That seems like the simplest way to approach the issue and to ensure that down the road, more manufacturers don’t copy this bad design.”
By Lisa Fernandez and John Krinjak
October 3rd, 2025
The families of two young adults who died in a 2024 crash and fire are taking Tesla to court. The crash involved a Cybertruck in Piedmont in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Eve last year. The lawsuits allege the tricky design of the truck’s door handles left the victims trapped inside.
The families of Krysta Tsukahara, 19, and Jack Nelson, 20, have each filed separate lawsuits against Tesla. The Tsukahara family’s existing lawsuit in the case was amended Thursday to add Tesla as a defendant. Meanwhile, the Nelson family filed a new lawsuit Friday. Attorneys for both families say their respective investigations found that the Cybertruck’s door design left the victims trapped in the burning vehicle.
“It was clear to us that the door failed to operate because it lost power,” said Roger Dreyer, attorney for Noelle and Carl Tsukahara.
“You know, Jack Nelson survived the crash. His injuries were relatively minor. What killed him was that he couldn’t get out of the car,” said Matthew Davis, attorney for Todd and Stanneye Nelson.