Tesla’s former engineer and whistleblower, Cristina Balan, won a long-running legal battle against Elon Musk and his automobile company, Tesla. Balan lost her job after raising a safety concern in 2014 about a design flaw affecting the car’s brake. She showed her reservations about the carpets curling underneath some pedals in the Tesla model, thus creating safety hazards.
The engineer’s prominence in the company could be determined from the fact that her initials used to be engraved on the batteries inside Model S vehicles.
Balan vs Musk Case: A Bird’s Eye View
Engineer Balan’s claim against the safety standards of Tesla’s car brakes was dismissed by the judge after complying with an arbitration decision. Notably, an arbitration was formulated in compliance with the contract she signed with Tesla while joining the company. However, a panel of appeal judges in California reversed this decision in her favour. Balan now wants to face Musk and his company in open court. About the upcoming open court proceeding, the former Tesla engineer said
"We are hoping we will start a new lawsuit and we will have the chance to take on Elon Musk in front of a jury and judge,"
Balan vs Tesla Defamation Case
After winning a wrongful dismissal case, engineer Balan was publicly accused by Tesla of using the company’s resources for a secret project. This accusation amounts to embezzlement under US law.
The engineer denied these accusations and filed a defamation case against the firm in 2019. She said in an interview
"I wish Elon Musk had the decency to apologise."
Parallel to this legal battle, Cristian Balan is fighting against 3B breast cancer. She hopes that she will clear her name in her lifetime.
