Mercedes-Benz's "Soft Close" door cut off a man's thumb, according to a lawsuit filed against the manufacturer. The ironically-named "Soft Close" feature uses a motor to pull the car door tightly against the frame. The man's thumb happened to be in the way, and when the door closed, it severed his thumb.
From Car Complaints:
The plaintiff and his wife returned home in their 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 SUV on October 8, 2021, a year after he first leased the vehicle.
After pulling into the garage, Mrs. Kastigar exited the vehicle and entered the house while Mr. Kastigar exited the vehicle with his back to the car. The lawsuit says with his right hand behind his back near the B-pillar and his right thumb on the inside door column, the door suddenly pulled shut on his thumb.
Mr. Kastigar says he felt his right thumb being crushed by the door and watched as the door severed the upper half of his thumb.
An emergency room physician "attempted to reconstruct the distal portion of Plaintiff's right thumb. Sadly, by that time it was too late to restore Mr. Kastigar's thumb to its pre-injury condition."
From the lawsuit:
A once proud and independent man who protects the public from harm now relies on his wife to assist him with going to the bathroom, showering, brushing his teeth, getting dressed and buttoning his shirt. He has great difficulties holding a pen, feeding himself, tying his own shoes, using tools and assisting around the house with chores such as laundry and washing dishes.
Here's a video that shows the "Soft Close" function in action:
[via Core 77]
