A woman is suing Tesla for $10 million after crashing into a storefront in Virginia during a test drive due to the car’s “Insane Mode.”
The woman, Alemzewd Lawgalet, a 59-year-old federal employee, claims in her lawsuit that she had never driven an electric vehicle before and was unaware that the Tesla vehicle she was testing had three acceleration modes when she left the Arlington, Virginia, car lot.
She claims that Tesla staff neglected to explain regenerative braking, left the car in its highest-performance “Insane” acceleration setting, and sent her out alone even though they knew it was her first time driving an EV. According to her, a salesperson allegedly told her that the Model Y “operated the same as a gas vehicle.” However, the Model Y can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.3 seconds when it is in “Insane” driving mode.
She claims that due to these oversights, she crashed the Tesla Model Y into a hair salon during the test drive and sustained severe injuries.
‘It sounded like an explosion’
In the complaint, according to The Independent, Lawgalet claims that after exiting Interstate 395 because the regenerative braking was unsettling her, she lost control of the automobile as it “lurched forward at an extreme speed and horsepower compared to the force placed on the accelerator.”
The vehicle caught fire upon impact with the hair salon, forcing the evacuation of the building.
“All of a sudden you hear like a boom. It sounded like an explosion. I thought the building was going to explode,” the salon owner told WUSA9 News. “We all kind of flew, glasses flying everywhere. Smoke, gas … come to find out there was a car that flew into the salon.”
“As a direct and proximate result of the crash, Plaintiff suffered serious and permanent bodily injuries, which have caused and will continue to cause physical and mental pain and suffering,” the lawsuit claims. “Plaintiff has incurred and will continue to incur medical, therapeutic, and related expenses. Plaintiff sustained additional damages including the inability to enjoy the normal functions of life and lost wages.”
Because of Tesla’s alleged “recklessness,” “willful and wanton conduct,” and “conscious disregard for the health and safety of others,” she is requesting at least $10 million in compensatory damages and an additional $350,000 in punitive damages.
Tesla disputes accountability, claiming Lawgalet “failed to take reasonable care” and “fail[ed] to take reasonable steps to mitigate her alleged damages.”