The incident happened in July 2023, when Hinterdobler was helping dismantle a robot away from its usual Model 3 production post. Out of nowhere, as an engineer pulled a motor, the robotic arm let loose, smacking Hinterdobler with the force of an 8,000-pound counterweight and putting him on the floor, unconscious and badly hurt.
The lawsuit is a laundry list of pain and damaged lives. Hinterdobler’s tally for medical bills already hits the $1 million mark, and climbing. The legal claim says he’s looking at another $6 million in future medical costs. He wants $20 million for pain and suffering, $10 million for emotional distress, $1 million for lost earnings already felt, $8 million in diminished future earnings, and $5 million more for household services lost in the aftermath—$51 million in all. The legal filings pull no punches, naming both Tesla and the robot’s maker, FANUC. The core accusation: Tesla failed basic safety procedures, putting the robot in a space never meant for that kind of gear, and didn’t properly de-energize or secure the machinery before sending workers in.
If that’s not enough drama, Hinterdobler’s lawyers say Tesla won’t hand over video footage of the accident and scrambled to roll out new safety measures after the fact. The suit also calls out FANUC for a robot design that left workers exposed, with a lack of clear guide rails on safety. The case is still heating up, and both Tesla and FANUC have so far kept their heads down and mouths shut in court.
Automation in car factories is supposed to make work smarter, not turn skilled technicians into crash-test dummies.
