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A robotics technician at Tesla’s prominent Fremont, California manufacturing facility has filed a lawsuit seeking a staggering $51 million in damages after an alleged “out-of-control” assembly-line robot critically injured him. The incident, which occurred on July 22, 2023, left 50-year-old Peter Hinterdobler unconscious and facing immense medical expenses.
The Alleged Robot Attack and Grievous Injuries
According to the civil complaint, Hinterdobler was assisting an engineer with the disassembly of a robot, which had been temporarily moved from its usual spot on the Model 3 production line. Without warning, the robot’s arm reportedly released with immense force, powered by its own mechanisms and an approximately 8,000-pound counterbalance weight. The sudden impact threw Hinterdobler to the floor, rendering him unconscious and causing severe injuries.
The aftermath of the incident has already resulted in $1 million in medical bills for Hinterdobler, with projections indicating an additional $6 million in future medical costs. His lawsuit itemizes the damages sought, including:
- $20 million for pain, suffering, and inconvenience.
- $10 million for emotional distress.
- $1 million for past lost earnings.
- $8 million for loss of future earning capacity.
- $5 million for past and future loss of household services.
Hinterdobler’s legal team has indicated that these figures may be subject to adjustment as the case progresses.
Lawsuit Names Tesla and Robotics Firm FANUC
The lawsuit, initially filed in California state court and later moved to Oakland federal court on August 19, names both Tesla and FANUC, the robotics manufacturer, as defendants. Neither company has yet publicly commented on the allegations.
Hinterdobler’s complaint asserts that Tesla owed him a duty of “reasonable care” in the ownership, operation, maintenance, and supervision of the FANUC robot. It specifically highlights alleged failures to comply with industry and safety standards, and to ensure the robot was “safely de-energized, secured, and stable” before personnel began disassembly. For its part, FANUC is accused of “negligently designing” the robot, failing to provide adequate instructions for safe operation, and producing a robot that “failed in a dangerous and unexpected manner.”
Compounding the allegations, Hinterdobler claims Tesla has denied him access to video footage of the incident despite repeated requests, and that new safety protocols for the specific robot involved in his injury were implemented post-incident.
A Pattern of Workplace Safety Concerns?
This incident at Tesla’s Fremont plant is not an an isolated report of robot-related workplace injuries. In 2021, an engineer at Tesla’s Austin, Texas, Gigafactory was reportedly “attacked” by a robot, leading to a serious injury. Historical data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) further reveals a concerning trend of severe injuries and fatalities linked to industrial robots, including incidents where workers were crushed, struck, or pinned by machinery. Notably, FANUC robots have been implicated in prior tragic accidents, such as the 2015 death of a maintenance engineer at a Michigan car parts factory.
Beyond robot safety, Tesla’s Fremont factory has faced a slew of other allegations impacting its work environment. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued Tesla in 2023 over claims of widespread racism. Other settled lawsuits and recent filings from former employees detail explosive allegations, including instances of sexual assault on company shuttles, on-site cocaine use, physical altercations, and pervasive bigotry, including the frequent use of racial slurs.
Peter Hinterdobler is seeking general, punitive, and exemplary damages, alongside special damages for his financial losses, medical expenses, and attorneys’ fees, with a jury ultimately set to determine the outcome.