Tesla Ordered to Pay $243 Million After Fatal Autopilot Crash
A Florida jury has ordered Tesla to pay $243 million in damages after determining the company was partly responsible for a fatal 2019 crash involving its Autopilot system. The case marks a significant legal milestone as the first time Tesla has been found liable in an Autopilot-related fatality.
The crash occurred on April 25, 2019, when George McGee was driving a Tesla Model S in Key Largo, Florida, with Autopilot engaged. According to court records, McGee reached down to pick up a dropped cellphone while the vehicle continued forward. The Tesla failed to recognize a parked vehicle and struck Naibel Benavides Leon, killing her, and severely injured another individual, Dillon Angulo, who was standing beside her.
The jury found that Tesla was 33% responsible for the incident, and McGee bore the remaining 67% of the blame. The plaintiffs successfully argued that Tesla had misrepresented the capabilities of its Autopilot system, marketing it as safe for complex traffic conditions and intersections when, in reality, it was still in a developmental phase and not equipped to handle such environments safely.
As a result of the ruling, Tesla has been ordered to pay $43 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages, totaling $243 million. The plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that Tesla’s failure to implement basic driver monitoring and overconfidence in its software led to a preventable tragedy.
Tesla has said it plans to appeal the verdict, arguing that McGee was driving recklessly, had overridden Autopilot controls, and was traveling at excessive speed at the time of the crash. The company also contends that a prior agreement limits its financial responsibility to $172 million.
This verdict could have far-reaching consequences for Tesla’s autonomous driving ambitions, especially its long-promised robotaxi fleet, which Elon Musk has said will rely heavily on Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems. Critics and safety experts say this ruling may increase pressure on Tesla to improve transparency, implement stricter safeguards, and recalibrate how it markets its driver-assistance technology.
The outcome also sends a strong message to the broader self-driving vehicle industry about the importance of accountability, transparency, and safety in the deployment of emerging technologies.
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A Florida jury has ordered Tesla to pay $243 million in damages after determining the company was partly responsible for a fatal 2019 crash involving its Autopilot system. The case marks a significant legal milestone as the first time Tesla has been found liable in an Autopilot-related fatality.
The crash occurred on April 25, 2019, when George McGee was driving a Tesla Model S in Key Largo, Florida, with Autopilot engaged. According to court records, McGee reached down to pick up a dropped cellphone while the vehicle continued forward. The Tesla failed to recognize a parked vehicle and struck Naibel Benavides Leon, killing her, and severely injured another individual, Dillon Angulo, who was standing beside her.
The jury found that Tesla was 33% responsible for the incident, and McGee bore the remaining 67% of the blame. The plaintiffs successfully argued that Tesla had misrepresented the capabilities of its Autopilot system, marketing it as safe for complex traffic conditions and intersections when, in reality, it was still in a developmental phase and not equipped to handle such environments safely.
As a result of the ruling, Tesla has been ordered to pay $43 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages, totaling $243 million. The plaintiffs’ attorneys argued that Tesla’s failure to implement basic driver monitoring and overconfidence in its software led to a preventable tragedy.
Tesla has said it plans to appeal the verdict, arguing that McGee was driving recklessly, had overridden Autopilot controls, and was traveling at excessive speed at the time of the crash. The company also contends that a prior agreement limits its financial responsibility to $172 million.
This verdict could have far-reaching consequences for Tesla’s autonomous driving ambitions, especially its long-promised robotaxi fleet, which Elon Musk has said will rely heavily on Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems. Critics and safety experts say this ruling may increase pressure on Tesla to improve transparency, implement stricter safeguards, and recalibrate how it markets its driver-assistance technology.
The outcome also sends a strong message to the broader self-driving vehicle industry about the importance of accountability, transparency, and safety in the deployment of emerging technologies.
Tesla Found Partly Responsible for Deadly Autopilot Crash as Jury Orders Company to Pay $243 Million
A jury in Florida has found Tesla partly liable for a deadly 2019 crash involving its Autopilot system, ordering the electric car company to pay $243 million in punitive and compensatory damages.
Kill the Boer!!
