Cybertruck Battery Fire Lawsuit: Thermal Runaway Claims

The Cybertruck's massive 123 kWh battery pack creates extreme fire risks. Thermal runaway—a self-sustaining chemical reaction reaching 5,000°F—can occur from crashes, charging faults, or spontaneous cell failures. When electronic doors fail during fires, occupants face catastrophic injuries.

The Science of Thermal Runaway

NTSB investigations explain thermal runaway: lithium-ion cells overheat, causing adjacent cells to fail in cascade. Temperatures reach 5,000°F within seconds. Unlike gasoline fires, EV fires can reignite hours or even days later.

Cybertruck-Specific Fire Risks

• 123 kWh battery—larger than most EVs
• Stainless steel body retains heat
• Electronic doors may fail without power
• Limited emergency responder training
• Rekindle risk up to 22 hours post-fire

Product Liability Theory

Under strict product liability, Tesla is liable if the battery design is defective—even without proving Tesla knew of the specific failure risk. Design defects include inadequate thermal management, insufficient cell separation, and electronic door dependency during emergencies.

Door Entrapment Claims

NHTSA Recall 24V-855 documents Cybertruck electronic door failures. When doors won't open during a battery fire, occupants face: inability to escape 5,000°F heat, third-degree burns within seconds, smoke inhalation and asphyxiation, and wrongful death.

Settlement Expectations

• Partial burns with treatment: $200,000-$500,000
• Significant burns requiring grafts: $500,000-$2M
• Severe disfigurement: $2M-$8M
• Wrongful death from fire: $3M-$15M+

Evidence Preservation

Critical for battery fire claims: don't let Tesla retrieve the vehicle without documentation, photograph battery condition and door positions, preserve fire department reports and video, document response time and water used, and retain expert to examine battery cells.