Mercedes-Benz sued after soft-close door cuts-off man's thumb

Mercedes-Benz's soft-close doors are described in the lawsuit as "nothing short of a modern guillotine."

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Mercedes-Benz’s soft-close doors are now found on a number of models, but a recent lawsuit has branded them as a "modern-day guillotine". Plaintiff Richard J. Kastigar, Jr., the deputy sheriff of Pima County Sheriff Department in Arizona, has filed a lawsuit alleging a power closing door caused the loss of part of his thumb, according to Car Complaints. 

Plaintiff exited a vehicle in October last year with his back to the vehicle and his right hand behind his back near the B-pillar with his back to the vehicle. In the report, the door unexpectedly shut on his right thumb as his right thumb was placed on the inside door column.

According to Kastiger, he felt that his right thumb was being crushed by the door and couldn't help watching as the door severed the tip of his thumb. His thumb could not be restored to its pre-injury condition after the incident.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiff says that his thumb injury required him to undergo emergency surgery, which included removing the protruding distal phalanx bone and surrounding soft tissue and nerves. The lawsuit continues to say he will lose at least $500,000 in wages due to the thumb injury.

“A once proud and independent man… now relies on his wife to assist him… He has great difficulties holding a pen, feeding himself, tying his own shoes," the lawsuit read.

Despite the fact that the Mercedes-Benz soft-close doors work as designed, the lawsuit claims they lack safeguards such as sensors to detect fingers and hands that may get in the way.

Additionally, the lawsuit claims the carmaker should not market or sell any vehicles equipped with soft-close doors and also alleges the carmaker fails to warn its customers about the dangers of such doors.