Jury Finds Tesla Partly Responsible for Fatal Autopilot Crash
In a recent verdict in federal court in Miami, a jury has determined that Tesla bears some responsibility for a fatal crash in 2019 involving the use of its Autopilot driver assistance system. The jury imposed punitive damages solely against Tesla, with the total payments amounting to approximately $242.5 million, as reported by CNBC.
The tragic incident occurred when neither the driver nor the Autopilot system applied the brakes in time to avoid a collision at an intersection, resulting in the death of a pedestrian after the car struck an SUV. The jury attributed two-thirds of the blame to the driver and one-third to Tesla. The driver was also separately sued in connection with the crash.
The verdict marks the conclusion of a three-week trial concerning the accident that claimed the life of 20-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and left her boyfriend Dillon Angulo severely injured. This legal decision represents one of the initial significant rulings against Tesla regarding driver assistance technology. The company had previously resolved lawsuits related to similar claims involving Autopilot.
According to Brett Schreiber, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, Tesla designed Autopilot for controlled access highways but failed to restrict its usage elsewhere, despite Elon Musk’s assertions that Autopilot outperformed human drivers. Schreiber criticized Tesla for endangering lives by allowing its flawed technology to be tested on public roads.
Responding to the verdict, Tesla expressed intentions to appeal, citing alleged legal errors and irregularities during the trial. The company emphasized that the crash could not have been prevented by any vehicle in 2019 or present day, asserting that the responsibility lies with the driver who admitted fault from the outset.
Tesla and Musk have faced scrutiny for their claims surrounding Autopilot’s capabilities, which have contributed to drivers’ overreliance on the system. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) highlighted concerns about driver complacency with Autopilot following investigations into fatal accidents involving the technology.
Musk acknowledged the issue of complacency with driver assistance systems during a conference call in 2018, emphasizing the importance of maintaining awareness and understanding of the system’s limitations.
The trial coincided with Tesla’s introduction of its Robotaxi network, featuring vehicles equipped with an advanced driver assistance system known as Full Self-Driving. This development underscores ongoing efforts to enhance autonomous driving technology while addressing safety concerns raised by regulatory bodies.
Update: This article has been revised to include details about compensatory damages in the total settlement.
