Austin, TX — March 6, 2026 — Hilliard Law announced today that it has filed suit against Tesla, Inc. on behalf of Lillian Brady, a Gigafactory Texas employee who was physically assaulted in December by Ndiaga Diagne, the man now accused of killing three people and injuring 17 others in a mass shooting in downtown Austin on March 2, 2026.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in state district court in Travis County, Texas, accuses Tesla of failing to provide a safe work environment, failing to know the backgrounds of its employees, and failing to monitor common areas or supervise sanctioned activities within its factory. Those failures, the suit alleges, created an unreasonably dangerous environment for workers like Ms. Brady.
On December 4, 2025, while Diagne was on a company-sanctioned prayer break at Gigafactory Texas, he allegedly assaulted Ms. Brady without provocation. Brady says Tesla withheld Diagne’s identity from her in the weeks following the attack. She only learned who her assailant was after the Austin mass shooting, when photographs of Diagne began circulating in the news media.
Since Diagne’s identification by Austin police as the shooting suspect, additional information suggesting he possessed a violent temperament before the December assault has come to light. The lawsuit seeks to determine what Tesla knew about Diagne’s behavior before the assault on Ms. Brady — and whether that information, had it been acted upon, could have prevented not only her attack, but the tragedy that followed.
“If Tesla had information about Diagne’s violent behavior before he attacked Lillian Brady and failed to act, then not only might her assault have been prevented, it may have been an early warning sign of a far greater danger,” said Attorney Bob Hilliard, founding attorney of Hilliard Law and counsel for Ms. Brady. “This lawsuit seeks to determine what Tesla knew and why this early incident wasn’t taken seriously. Every worker deserves to feel safe on the job. When a company the size of Tesla ignores warning signs and a vulnerable employee pays the price, there must be accountability.”
The case is currently pending in state district court in Travis County, Texas. Hilliard Law is representing Ms. Brady and her family as they seek justice and answers from one of the world’s largest corporations.
Cause No. D-1-GN-26-001554, In the District Court, 261st Judicial District, Travis County, TX
About Hilliard Law
Hilliard Law is a nationally renowned law firm based in Corpus Christi, Texas. With a history of success in personal injury and mass tort litigation, Hilliard Law is committed to providing aggressive representation and seeking justice for its clients. Bob Hilliard, Founding Partner, has led Hilliard Law to the forefront of national trial law firms. Having tried over 150 jury trials, Mr. Hilliard is a two-time winner of the National Law Journal’s prestigious Elite Trial Lawyer of the Year award for product liability and motor vehicles and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer for the past 23 years. Mr. Hilliard is double board-certified and recognized as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in the United States. In the past year alone, Hilliard Law’s 22-lawyer firm has secured over $200 million in verdicts and settlements. For more information, visit www.hilliard-law.com.
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