The father of an 18-year-old Florida teen killed when his speeding Tesla crashed into a wall and caught fire is suing the company, claiming the accident should have been 'entirely survivable'.
Barrett Riley and his friend Edgar Monserrat, also 18, died in May 2018 when Riley lost control of his father's 2014 Model S at 116 mph. A third friend was thrown from the car and survived.
James B. Riley filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in Santa Clara County, California, where Tesla is based. The suit alleges the car's lithium-ion battery pack was inadequately protected, causing it to explode upon impact. It claims Barrett died from burns, not crash injuries.
The lawsuit also states that two months before the crash, the Rileys had a speed limiter installed to cap the car at 85 mph after their son received a speeding ticket. However, the device was removed without their permission during a service visit.
Tesla has previously stated that 'no car could have withstood a high-speed crash of this kind'. The company introduced a Speed Limit Mode feature in 2019, dedicating it to Barrett Riley.
