Nov. 4, 2025, 2:12 p.m. ET A lawsuit filed Friday is blaming Tesla’s door design for a fiery car crash last November that killed all five passengers in a Model S, who allegedly became trapped inside with the flames. Jeffrey Bauer, 54, and Michelle Bauer, 55, survived the initial impact after the four-door sedan slammed into a tree – but were unable to escape the fire because the doors locked them inside, according to a suit filed by their children on Friday in Wisconsin state court. A nearby homeowner who called 911 said she could hear people screaming inside the vehicle, according to the lawsuit. A lawsuit filed Friday is blaming Tesla’s door design for a fiery car crash last November that killed all five passengers in a Model S. REUTERS The local sheriff’s office said a cluster of bodies had been found in the front seat of the car, suggesting they might have been struggling to escape. “Tesla’s design choices created a highly foreseeable risk: that occupants who survived a crash would remain trapped inside a burning vehicle,” lawyers for the children wrote in the complaint. The lawsuit is just the latest to accuse Tesla of negligence, arguing that Elon Musk’s automaker was aware of the risk that a fire could kill the car’s battery, preventing the doors from automatically unlocking. Explore More