Cristina Balan, a former Tesla engineer who raised safety concerns about vehicle design, has won a significant legal battle in her years-long defamation case against Elon Musk and Tesla, reports BBC.
Balan, who was fired in 2014 after reporting a potential braking hazard caused by curling carpets beneath Tesla pedals, had her defamation case previously dismissed by an arbitrator who cited California’s statute of limitations. That ruling was later upheld by a district court, seemingly ending her legal challenge.
However, in a major turn, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has now reversed that decision. The appellate judges ruled that the district court lacked jurisdiction to confirm the arbitration award and ordered the case to be dismissed due to jurisdictional issues—effectively reopening the path for Balan to pursue new legal action.
“This decision gives us the opportunity to relaunch the lawsuit and take Elon Musk to court in front of a jury and judge,” Balan told BBC News. She has long maintained that Tesla retaliated against her and falsely accused her of embezzlement—a claim she has consistently denied.
Her case dates back to her time at Tesla, where her initials were once engraved on the batteries of Model S vehicles. After being fired, she pursued a wrongful dismissal case, which she won. However, it was Tesla's public statements about her that led her to file a defamation lawsuit in 2019.
Now in remission from stage-3B breast cancer, Balan has expressed a strong desire to clear her name, especially for the sake of her son.
Tesla has not issued a comment on the recent ruling.
This legal victory may not only reinvigorate Balan’s fight for justice but could also serve as a landmark moment for whistleblowers seeking accountability from powerful tech companies.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
