A jury in Florida has found Tesla partially liable for a deadly accident involving its Autopilot technology, mandating that Elon Musk’s company pay $329 million in damages. This decision represents a notable legal hurdle for Tesla and a crucial point in the ongoing debate regarding the safety of self-driving technology.
This lawsuit is the first instance where Tesla has been held responsible for a wrongful death linked to its Autopilot system, as noted by a Reuters expert. The company’s driver-assistance software has been implicated in various accidents, sufficiently warranting its own Wikipedia entry.
The case stems from a 2019 event where a Tesla Model S driver, allegedly distracted while using Autopilot, disregarded a stop sign and trafficked a red light, colliding with a parked Chevrolet Tahoe. Naibel Benavides Leon was next to the vehicle and lost her life, while her ex-boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, sustained injuries.
A judge in Miami has mandated that Tesla compensate Benavides Leon’s estate and Angulo with $129 million in compensatory damages and an additional $200 million in punitive damages. Tesla intends to appeal the decision, as per Reuters.
“Today’s verdict signifies justice for Naibel’s unfortunate passing and Dillon’s lifelong injuries,” stated Brett Schreiber, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, in a statement to the Wall Street Journal. “Tesla created Autopilot solely for controlled-access highways but intentionally opted not to limit its use in other areas, while Elon Musk claimed that Autopilot outperformed human drivers.”
This ruling poses a considerable challenge for Musk and Tesla, occurring as the billionaire aggressively advances the company’s robotaxi project. As Musk endeavors to persuade both investors and the public of Tesla’s capability to spearhead the future of self-driving, the $329 million ruling associated with its Autopilot technology raises significant concerns about the safety and legal implications of that vision and may lead the company to face additional Autopilot-related lawsuits in the future.