— A Tesla Model X crash lawsuit alleges four members of a Utah family were killed in Idaho because the driver assistance features of the Tesla failed to work as advertised.
According to Idaho State Police, killed in the 2022 Tesla Model X crash were driver Jennifer Blaine, 46, her daughter Emily Blaine Leavitt, 22, her daughter’s husband, Zach Leavitt, 24, and daughter Denali Blaine, 11. Also killed was family dog, Peaches.
The Tesla Model X lawsuit was filed by Nathan A. Blaine, husband of driver Jennifer Blaine.
The crash occurred September 1, 2023, on Idaho State Highway 33 near milepost 125 just before 10 p.m. The Tesla crossed the center line and slammed head-on into a 2007 Kenworth tractor trailer hauling grain. All the occupants of both vehicles were wearing seat belts, and the truck driver wasn't physically injured.
Idaho State Police reported both eastbound and westbound lanes of State Highway 33 were blocked for 8 hours due to the crash.
According to the lawsuit, the occupants were killed because Tesla failed to equip the Model X with "features that were reasonably available for the Model X's model year for keeping the vehicle in its intended driving lane and/or assisting its drivers in keeping the vehicle in the intended driving lane."
The lawsuit contends the 2022 Tesla Model X was "unreasonably dangerous and defective" due to an "ineffective" Autopilot system. The plaintiff also complains the advanced driver assistance systems didn't prevent the Model X from slamming into the Kenworth tractor trailer.
According to the plaintiff, the 2022 Tesla Model X was equipped with:
"[A]n ineffective Lane Departure Avoidance system which is supposed to apply 'corrective steering to keep your vehicle in your current lane' and/or an ineffective Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance system that is supposed to "steer your vehicle back into your driving lane when it detects that your vehicle is departing its lane and there could be a collision."
The lawsuit also claims the Tesla Autosteer feature was advertised as "intelligently keeping Model X in its lane," but failed to do its job.
The Tesla Model X crash lawsuit was filed in the Third Judicial District Court for Salt Lake County, Utah: Nathan A. Blaine, et al. v. Tesla, Inc., et al.
The plaintiff is represented by Halliday Law, and Shumway Law PLLC.
