Tesla faces lawsuit after toddler allegedly starts ‘Defective’ SUV, crashes into pregnant mom

Tesla confronts allegations and legal processes in Santa Clara County this month over a kid and Model X SUV incident. The lawsuit claims Tesla’s technology endangered a family when a kid hit their mother with the car.

On December 27, 2018, Mallory Harcourt, then 8 months pregnant, was seriously injured after her son accidentally drove a Tesla Model X toward her. The child’s ability to start and enter driving mode may have caused the traumatic occurrence, causing neighbors to intervene after hearing screaming.

Despite Tesla’s claim that the Model X is “the safest SUV on the market,” the complaint alleges serious technical deficiencies. Concerns regarding the vehicle’s design stem from its ease of use, notably by minors.

Tesla denies involvement, but Harcourt family lawyers say the business neglected design faults.

Harcourt’s lawyers claim that Tesla’s ‘drive-by-wire’ accelerator pedal and motor control system, including the 2019 Model X, lacks an adequate means to prevent unexpected acceleration.

Tesla’s attorneys submitted a rebuttal in Santa Clara County, California, using Harcourt’s Model X data showing the toddler had touched both pedals and shifted into drive.

The reply claims the toddler’s brake and accelerator pedal presses moved the vehicle. The series of events led Tesla’s attorneys to call Harcourt’s kid a “unattended child”. Tesla’s vehicle safety and design are being investigated in the trial, which might affect the automotive industry.