Tesla Faces $51M Robot Injury Lawsuit As Robot Knocks Technician Unconscious

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00:00Tesla faces $51 million robot injury lawsuit as Robot Knocks Technician Unconscious.

00:07Getting knocked unconscious by the force equivalent of an 8,000-pound counterbalance weight

00:12isn't exactly what you'd expect from a routine maintenance shift.

00:16Yet that's exactly what Peter Hinterdobler alleges happened

00:19when a FANUC robotic arm malfunctioned at Tesla's Fremont factory on July 22, 2023,

00:25an incident that's now the center of a $51 million federal lawsuit

00:29that exposes serious questions about human safety in automated workplaces.

00:35Robotics Technician Hinterdobler was knocked unconscious

00:37and severely injured by a robotic arm during disassembly,

00:41leaving him with lasting health issues.

00:43His medical costs already exceed $1 million,

00:46with future expenses projected at over $6 million.

00:50In his lawsuit, he seeks $20 million for pain and suffering,

00:54$10 million for emotional distress and $8 million for lost future earnings.

01:00Tesla allegedly failed to ensure the robot was safely de-energized, secured, and stable

01:05before allowing technician access,

01:08while also placing the equipment in an inappropriate location.

01:11FANUC, one of the world's largest automation manufacturers,

01:15faces accusations of negligent design and inadequate user instruction

01:19that led to the robot's dangerous malfunction.

01:21Perhaps most telling, Tesla reportedly implemented new safety protocols

01:26for this type of robot after the incident,

01:28suggesting previous procedures were insufficient.

01:31Tesla's Fremont plant is facing renewed workplace safety scrutiny

01:35after a recent incident,

01:36raising concerns as Elon Musk pushes automation

01:39and AI-driven manufacturing.

01:41The case, now in Oakland's federal court,

01:44could shape future regulations on human-robot collaboration.

01:48Both defendants have yet to respond,

01:50and the industry is closely watching the outcome.

01:52THEM

02:03SAINT

02:04RV