Tesla Faces Lawsuit After Robot Seriously Injures Technician at Fremont Plant

Tesla’s Fremont factory, the company’s largest U.S. production hub, is under fire over a horrific incident where a technician was attacked and seriously injured by a malfunctioning robot. The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, raises fresh concerns about safety at the plant, which has long been criticized for dangerous working conditions, regulatory violations, and repeated lawsuits.

Tesla's Fremont Factory has been the center of multiple lawsuits.

A Technician Pinned and Severely Injured

The incident occurred when a Tesla technician at the Fremont factory was “pinned against a surface” by a robot that was supposed to be powered down. The robot’s malfunction caused the worker to suffer “serious and permanent injuries” to his back, shoulder, and neck.

The complaint states the technician has been left unable to return to work, requiring extensive medical treatment and ongoing physical therapy. His medical bills have already totaled “over a million dollars,” according to court filings, and this number is projected to include an additional 6 million for future medical costs. 

The worker is seeking $51 million, covering medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering. The lawsuit accuses Tesla of negligence, failure to maintain proper safety protocols, and failure to adequately train workers to handle robot-related hazards.

A History of Safety Failures

This case is particularly significant because it is not an isolated event. Tesla’s Fremont factory has long been plagued by safety issues. In 2018, Reveal published an investigation showing that Tesla had underreported workplace injuries to make its safety record appear better than it was. 

Former safety lead Justine White wrote to HR: “the risk of injury is too high. People are getting hurt every day and near-hit incidents where people are getting almost crushed or hit by cars is unacceptable.” However, she received no response about reducing risk. Many speculate that this is because of Musk’s value on production, especially since Musk has a “hands on approach” to HR hiring practices with the Fremont Factory. 

Former environmental compliance manager Susan Rigmaiden recalled how “If someone said, ‘Elon doesn’t like something,’ you were concerned because you could lose your job.” And when it came to safety, White recalled how she was told on the job that “Elon didn’t want signs, anything yellow or to wear safety shoes in the plant,” in reference to warning signs or caution tape that is often yellow.  

Legal Troubles Piling Up

Tesla’s legal issues extend beyond workplace accidents. The company has also faced lawsuits over racial discrimination and harassment at Fremont. Earlier this year, Tesla settled a lawsuit with an employee that faced racial harassment by management.

Another lawsuit reports how Fremont’s factory is comparable to the Jim Crow South and that workers that spoke out were “fired or forced to resign on bogus charges." In a lawsuit from the California Civil Rights Department, Musk told workers to be “thick-skinned” when it came to racism, revealing a lack of care for his employee’s wellbeing.