_Incident · Injury_

# Tesla technician sues for 51M after FANUC robot arm knocked him unconscious at Fremont factory

Canonical ID: `e45966ca-7fd1-4df4-924c-7fbfdbc861ed`

- **Occurred:** 2023-07-22
- **Kind:** `injury`
- **Status (derived):** active
- **Company:** [Tesla](/companies/tesla.md) (id: `bde7c8a1-5d35-449d-93b0-2ac8e4601c16`)

Peter Hinterdobler, a 50-year-old robotics technician at Teslas Fremont factory, was knocked unconscious and seriously injured when a FANUC robot arm released during disassembly, propelled by mechanical power and an 8,000-pound counterbalance weight. He has incurred approximately 1M in medical expenses with 6M more needed. He sued Tesla and FANUC for 51M in damages, alleging Tesla failed to ensure the robot was safely de-energized before disassembly work.

## Sources (1)

1. https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/tesla-technician-robot-lawsuit-21067323.php

## Status history

- **active** · 2026-07-06 · agent:depth

## Common questions

### What happened in Tesla technician sues for 51M after FANUC robot arm knocked him unconscious at Fremont factory?

Peter Hinterdobler, a 50-year-old robotics technician at Teslas Fremont factory, was knocked unconscious and seriously injured when a FANUC robot arm released during disassembly, propelled by mechanical power and an 8,000-pound counterbalance weight. He has incurred approximately 1M in medical expenses with 6M more needed. He sued Tesla and FANUC for 51M in damages, alleging Tesla failed to ensure the robot was safely de-energized before disassembly work.

### When did this incident occur?

The incident is recorded as occurring on July 22, 2023 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.

### Who was involved in Tesla technician sues for 51M after FANUC robot arm knocked him unconscious at Fremont factory?

The incident is recorded as involving Tesla on the DEPLOY registry. No specific robot model is linked to this incident in the registry.

### Has anyone responded to Tesla technician sues for 51M after FANUC robot arm knocked him unconscious at Fremont factory?

No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.

### What is the current status of Tesla technician sues for 51M after FANUC robot arm knocked him unconscious at Fremont factory?

This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.


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