A mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla claiming defective electronic door systems trapped her 14-year-old son and his father inside their burning vehicle following a December collision in Georgia, with neither occupant able to escape despite a witness attempting rescue.
Shantorria Herring alleges the car manufacturer allowed “unreasonably dangerous” vehicles onto the market after Margarrett Smith, 35, and Karter Breon Smith perished when their Model 3 struck a tree and ignited on 23 December 2024 along Georgia Highway 35 in Thomasville.
“The handles on the doors were inoperable,” the lawsuit states, claiming both victims burned to death whilst a bystander rushed to assist but found the electrically-powered entry system non-functional with no mechanical backup override.
Ms Herring told the Tallahassee Democrat the pair “were asleep when it happened, and it was instant” after Margarrett lost control whilst driving his son from Florida to Atlanta for Christmas celebrations.
The vehicle “abruptly departed the road, struck a tree, and burst into flames” after veering into a pecan orchard, with the lawsuit arguing Tesla’s Autopilot system should have corrected course and prevented the crash once Margarrett fell asleep at the wheel.
Ms Herring additionally claims the Model 3’s lithium battery and electrical storage system were defective and “not crashworthy,” being “prone to cause a post-collision thermal runaway and fire”—incidents notoriously difficult for fire departments to extinguish due to sustained heat generation.
“Had the battery pack of the subject vehicle not been designed in a defective condition that was unreasonably dangerous for its intended purpose, plaintiff’s son would not have been killed in the post-collision thermal runaway and fire,” the lawsuit contends.
The grieving mother argues Tesla “failed to warn consumers” the Model 3 “was not crashworthy and was unreasonably dangerous in the foreseeable event of a crash,” instead disseminating marketing representing vehicles as safe for intended purposes.
Ms Herring seeks unspecified punitive damages alongside attorney fees and £12,200 (approximately $15,500) funeral expenses.
Karter’s obituary remembers him as a “vibrant and spirited young soul” whose “infectious smile and boundless energy touched the lives of everyone who had the privilege to know him.”
The straight-A student maintained passionate sports involvement including soccer, basketball, track and football, with his mother recalling: “Karter was going to be amazing whatever he did and whatever he decided to do because he put his all into it.”
Margarrett had graduated from Florida A&M University and was pursuing doctoral studies whilst helping run his family’s trucking company when the tragedy occurred.
Karter had hugged and kissed his mother goodbye after loading bags into the Tesla’s boot, unaware the Christmas journey would prove fatal.
