A former Tesla engineer who raised early safety concerns about the company’s vehicles has secured a pivotal victory in her years-long legal battle, reviving the possibility of a public trial against the electric car giant and its CEO, Elon Musk.

Cristina Balan, once a prominent engineer at Tesla with her initials engraved on Model S batteries, was fired in 2014 after she reported a potential design flaw involving curled floor carpets beneath the pedals—an issue she said posed a significant safety hazard. Now, more than a decade later, a panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled in her favor, overturning a lower court’s decision that upheld an arbitration ruling dismissing her defamation claims.

The appeals court decision effectively reopens Balan’s case and clears the path for a potential trial in open court, giving her another chance to seek accountability from Tesla.

“We are hoping to launch a new lawsuit and finally face Elon Musk in front of a jury and a judge,” Balan told BBC News, which first broke the story. “I want to clear my name.”

Balan alleges that Tesla not only disregarded her safety warnings but retaliated by terminating her employment. Although she previously won a wrongful termination claim, her legal battle continued. In 2019, she filed a defamation suit after Tesla publicly accused her of misusing company resources for a “secret project” — a claim Balan strongly denies, calling it a damaging accusation akin to embezzlement.

Tesla has not responded publicly to the court ruling or to media inquiries for comment.

Throughout her legal ordeal, Balan has also been privately battling stage 3B breast cancer, from which she is now in remission. She said her pursuit of justice is not just personal but deeply principled — a fight for truth and a legacy for her son.

“I wish Elon Musk had the decency to apologize,” Balan said in a previous interview. “I want the truth to come out.”