Glendale, CA – Tesla owners Roy and Marites Wiseman have filed a class action lawsuit against Tesla alleging a life-threatening defect in all Model S and Model X vehicles. The lawsuit, Roy Wiseman v. Tesla Inc., Case No. 2:17-cv-04798, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, arose in the aftermath of a catastrophic accident in April of 2017 when the Wisemans’ vehicle skit off the road. Roy Wiseman and his passenger miraculously suffered only minor injuries but the Wisemans’ Tesla Model X was totally wrecked. The Wisemans since made multiple requests for Tesla to address the dangerous condition that caused the crash. When their requests fell on deaf ears, the Wisemans retained Hovanes Margarian of The Margarian Law Firm to demand a remedy from Tesla via litigation.
Hovanes Margarian, lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the case, opined on the defect:
Tesla’s all-electric Model S and Model X vehicles command a premium price that can easily exceed $100,000. For that money, owners get a vehicle that has a decreased impact on the environment, the intrigue of driving an electric vehicle, and many unique technological features that make Tesla stand out among its competitors. What Tesla drivers do not expect to get, is a car that is prone to losing control in certain road conditions. We believe that Tesla is very well aware of this danger and yet opts to ignore it despite many complaints.
There is a heightened threshold to litigating a case against Tesla, since most Tesla owners have a sense of loyalty that amounts to heightened tolerance towards and, in response, neglect from Tesla. However, it is imperative that the defect at issue be remedied before innocent lives are lost.
The lawsuit estimates that nearly 130,000 Tesla vehicles are affected by the defect. Given the defect, the attorneys at the Margarian Law Firm estimate each affected Tesla vehicle to have diminished in value by approximately 20%. If so, total damages could total over 2.3 Billion dollars. A large sum, yet a small price to pay to save the lives of their loyal customers. Owners of a Tesla Model S or Model X may also be entitled to a recovery due to the diminished value of their vehicle as well as Tesla’s refusal to remedy this potentially fatal defect.
The Margarian Law Firm has been fighting for consumer rights for over a decade. While the firm’s various departments have attorneys who handle a wide range of legal matters, its consumer class action division, in particular, has represented hundreds of thousands of consumers in class action matters involving automobile defects and other matter. The firm’s aim is first and foremost to engage Tesla in a meaningful early resolution dialogue whereby the safety concerns raised by the Wisemans will be addressed for them and for all Tesla owners nationwide. The attorneys are optimistic that Tesla will do right by its clients.
