A Florida jury has found Tesla partly responsible for a 2019 crash that resulted in a pedestrian’s death and serious injuries to others. The plaintiffs contended that Tesla’s Autopilot software should have activated the brakes to prevent the accident. The jury awarded $243 million in damages, of which Tesla is responsible for one-third of the compensatory damages and the full amount of punitive damages. Tesla intends to appeal, labeling the verdict “wrong” and asserting that the driver, George McGee, was solely at fault for dropping his phone and failing to control the vehicle.
The lawsuit was brought by the family of 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon, who was killed in the incident. The court found that neither McGee nor the Autopilot activated the brakes in time. The verdict marks a significant blow to Tesla and CEO Elon Musk, who promotes autonomous driving technology as key to the company’s future. Following the announcement, Tesla’s stock dropped almost 2%.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that Musk misrepresented the Autopilot’s capabilities, claiming it was designed mainly for highways but allowed for use in inappropriate settings. Critics say the verdict holds Tesla accountable for its engineering practices, as they continue to face scrutiny over their autonomous technology. The case follows a history of legal challenges related to Autopilot incidents, with Tesla previously settling lawsuits connected to similar crashes.
Source link
