“It’s on fire. Help please,” Tremblett said, according to the lawsuit. “I am going to die.” After Tremblett survived the initial impact of the collision his remains were found in the back seat, according to a police report of the incident. “Unable to open the doors, Mr Tremblett was trapped in the Tesla vehicle and died from thermal injuries and smoke inhalation before he was able to be rescued,” according to the complaint filed on Wednesday in Massachusetts federal court. Advertisement Tesla didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Tremblett’s lawsuit. However, in September, a Tesla executive said that the company was working on a redesign of its door handles. In December, Tesla updated its website to say that, after a serious collision is detected, hazard lights will turn on to increase visibility and “doors will automatically unlock for emergency access”. Tesla is facing multiple US lawsuits over crashes that allegedly involved door-related entrapment, including cases filed last year in Washington state and Wisconsin. The company was sued in October over claims that defects in the doors of a crashed Cybertruck in California made it a “death trap” by preventing three college students from escaping before they died of smoke inhalation. Callan Root, who bought his Tesla in December, likes the sleek look of the hidden electronic door handles, but concedes they could pose a safety hazard. Sitthixay Ditthavong Bloomberg has also reported at least 15 deaths in a dozen incidents over the past decade in which occupants or rescuers were unable to open the doors of a Tesla that had crashed and caught fire. Advertisement Tesla cars and most electric vehicles have two batteries: a low-voltage 12V battery that operates interior functions like windows, doors and the touchscreen, and the high-voltage pack that propels the car. If the low-voltage battery dies or is disabled, which is common after collisions or if a car is submerged in water, the doors may not unlock and must be operated manually from the inside. While manufacturers, including Tesla, are increasingly including mechanical release options inside for at least some doors, many owners and passengers are unfamiliar with where they’re located or how to operate them. There is no mechanical release option from outside for emergency responders. Related Article