On December 30, 2016, South Korean celebrity Son Ji-Chang, who resides in California, filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Tesla Motors Inc. claiming that Son’s Tesla Model X electric SUV suddenly accelerated as the star was pulling into his garage, causing the vehicle to plow through a garage wall and into the living room.
Son alleges that at the time of the accident he was driving the vehicle at approximately six miles per hour when the car suddenly lurched into full power and sped through a garage wall, knocking out several wooden support beams and a steel sewer pipe in the process.
McCune Wright Arevalo LLP represents Son along with Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, P.C. McCune Wright Arevalo LLP are no strangers to car defect class-action suits—the firm was named class counsel for the 2009 Toyota spontaneous acceleration class action. Attorneys for the plaintiff claim that the sudden acceleration was due to an internal computer error that could potentially affect all Tesla Model X electric SUVs. Currently there are around 16,000 consumers driving Model X vehicles in the United States. Plaintiff accuses Tesla of negligence and breach of warranty, as well as a breach of the theory of products liability.
Tesla Motors has commented on Son’s claims, insisting that evidence from the accident, including data from the vehicle, reveals the accelerator was depressed with excessive force, which in turn caused the accident.
Counsel Financial provides working capital credit lines up to $5 million exclusively for the plaintiffs' bar in all states except California, where credit lines are issued by California Attorney Lending.
