Tesla Technician Severely Injured by Malfunctioning Robot Sues Tesla for $51 Million
A Tesla technician was severely injured after being struck by a malfunctioning robot while at work. To date, his medical expenses have reached $1 million, with an additional $6 million or more needed for subsequent treatment. Recently, he filed a lawsuit against Tesla and its suppliers, seeking $51 million in compensation.
The technician, 50-year-old Peter Hinterdobler, was assisting engineers in disassembling a robot at Tesla's Fremont, California factory in July 2023 when the incident occurred.
According to court documents, the robot was originally placed in an "unauthorized area," which violated the equipment's design requirements. At the time of the accident, engineers were attempting to remove the motor from the robot's base to inspect its internal components when the robot's arm "suddenly and without warning activated." It struck Hinterdobler with a massive force equivalent to an "approximately 8,000-pound weight," knocking him "to the ground" and rendering him "unconscious." He sustained severe physical injuries, including physical trauma, emotional distress, and financial losses. His accumulated medical costs have hit $1 million, and an estimated additional $6 million will be required for future treatment.
Hinterdobler has sued both Tesla and Fanuc America Corporation—the U.S.-based subsidiary of a Japanese company and the manufacturer of the faulty robot. He is seeking $51 million in damages, covering lost wages, emotional harm, pain and suffering, and loss of earning capacity.
The lawsuit states that Hinterdobler accuses Tesla of failing to ensure the safety of the robot's mechanical systems. Specifically, he claims he was forced to disassemble the machine without it being "safely powered off and secured," alleging that Tesla was grossly negligent. Additionally, he argues that Fanuc America Corporation was negligent in the robot's design.
This is not Tesla's first robot-related accident. In 2021, a similar incident occurred at a Tesla factory in Texas, where an engineer was grabbed by the back and arm by the "claw" of another industrial robot arm, leaving "bloodstains."
Furthermore, as factory automation rates rise, the risk of such accidents has increased. As of 2025, there have been at least 41 robot-related fatalities in U.S. workplaces.
While the incident involved an industrial robot—unrelated to the highly publicized AI-driven autonomous robots—the potential impact on the automation and intelligent robotics industry cannot be ignored. Currently, U.S. media have described the incident as a "robot attack." Despite the fact that it was actually a mechanical failure, this exaggerated terminology may heighten public concerns about robot safety and prompt regulatory intervention.
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