Tesla Inc. was sued over a fiery crash in Washington state that left one person dead and another seriously injured after rescuers allegedly struggled to open the vehicle’s doors, the latest in a growing body of litigation scrutinizing the company’s electrically powered handles.

The claims stem from an accident in January 2023, when Jeffery Dennis and his wife, Wendy, were running errands on a Saturday afternoon in their Model 3 sedan. The electric vehicle “suddenly and rapidly accelerated out of control,” hitting a utility pole and bursting into flames, according to the suit, which was filed Friday in federal court in Washington state.

Tesla’s “unique and defective door handle design” rendered the doors inoperable and impeded the rescue process, according to the complaint. Wendy Dennis d

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