State Farm sues Tesla for electrical car fire that damaged Indiana home

Posted on March 3, 2022
State Farm HQ
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis. (Photo courtesy: WJBC/File)

By Heart of Illinois ABC

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington-based State Farm Insurance is suing Tesla in federal court, alleging a faulty electrical system sparked a car fire that severely damaged a Carmel, Indiana home.

State Farm wants to recover nearly $1.3 million in claims it paid to policyholders Randall and Dorothy Sencaj.

The lawsuit said the Sencaj family parked the 2016 Tesla Model S vehicle in an attached garage and plugged the vehicle into its electric charger.

The lawsuit stated that “…a significant electrical event occurred. The electrical arcing event quickly ignited readily available combustibles within the Tesla, creating a dangerous fire.”

The fire on February 17, 2020 spread to the garage, home and two other vehicles, the lawsuit said.

State Farm alleges the “defectively designed” electrical system was not able to regulate the battery cells.

Tesla is also accused of not adequately warning consumers of possible hazards with the vehicle’s electrical system, and failing to inform the public about the proper use of the vehicle and its dangers.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected].

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