Cybertruck Burned So Hot That Driver's Bones Disintegrated, Lawsuit Claims

A Tesla Cybertruck owner in Texas, US, was burned to death after the car rolled into a ditch, following an accident in which he became trapped inside. As per the lawsuit filed by the victim's family, 47-year-old Michael Sheehan burned so hot in the crash that his bones literally 'disintegrated'.

Mr Sheehan bought a brand-new Cybertruck from a Tesla showroom on April 25, 2024. However, just 102 days later, Mr Sheehan was involved in an accident where the car left the road and struck a large concrete culvert. Post the collision, the vehicle's "hyper volatile" battery system went into "thermal runaway" - a chain reaction of short-circuits ultimately resulting in uncontrollable temperature escalation.

The family has blamed the company for the incident where Mr Sheehan burned to death at 2,760 degrees Celsius (5,000 Fahrenheit), a fire so hot his bones experienced thermal fracture.

"He was eight inches shorter in length than he was before he burned. That's thermal fracture," the family's attorney, S Scott West, told The Independent.

The lawsuit added that Mr Sheehan would have survived if it had been virtually any other vehicle. However, the Cybertruck was "defectively designed," trapping him inside and incinerating him. With the power out, Mr Sheehan was unable to open the truck's electronic doors while the external door handles failed too, the suit alleged.

"Every religion has a version of hell, and every version of hell has fire. It is the most excruciating and longest torture of any death," said Mr West.

"Whether it's steam or fire or electrical, the nerves are literally exposed to everything. It's horrific. If you've ever been to a hospital burn unit, you'll hear patients begging the doctors to let them die because the pain is so bad."

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Cybertruck design issues

As per Mr West, the family had been trying to reach a settlement with Tesla to avoid a lawsuit, but the talks eventually collapsed. The family has claimed that aesthetics took priority over functionality at Tesla when designing the Cybertruck, which contributed to the tragedy.

Notably, Mr Sheehan was the first-ever person to perish in a Cybertruck wreck since the model hit the market in November 2023. Three months after his death, three college students in California were also burned to death in a Cybertruck that slammed into a tree after veering off the road.

Since its launch, Tesla has issued eight recalls for the Cybertruck over problems ranging from malfunctioning accelerator pedals to faulty windshield wiper motors to body panels.