MIAMI — A jury in Miami has ruled Tesla partially responsible for a fatal crash that occurred in 2019, resulting in a $242.6 million damages award to the victims. The lawsuit focused on the automaker’s Autopilot system, which has faced scrutiny over its safety features in past incidents.
The jury awarded a total of $329 million in damages to the family of Naibel Benavides Leon and her former boyfriend, Dillon Angulo. This total includes $129 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages, as outlined in the verdict sheet.
Jurors determined that Tesla should pay 33% of the compensatory damages, totaling $42.6 million, while the full amount of punitive damages was assigned to the automaker, reaching $200 million. Tesla plans to appeal the decision and has stated that its liability should be capped at a maximum of $170 million, which includes $42.5 million in compensatory damages and $127.5 million in punitive damages.
The crash involved George McGee, who was behind the wheel of a 2019 Tesla Model S equipped with the Autopilot feature. He was found to be 67% responsible for the incident. However, since he was a defendant in the case, he will not have to pay any damages.
Lawyer Brett Schreiber, representing the plaintiffs, emphasized that the verdict signifies justice for both Benavides Leon’s tragic death and Angulo’s severe injuries. Schreiber pointed out that Tesla had designed Autopilot for controlled-access highways but chose not to limit its use elsewhere, despite claims from Elon Musk that the technology outperformed human drivers.
Tesla contends that the verdict is fundamentally flawed, arguing that McGee was solely at fault due to speeding and being distracted while using Autopilot. The company asserted that no vehicle, whether in 2019 or today, could have prevented the crash, labeling allegations against Autopilot as a fabrication by the plaintiffs’ attorneys.
The automaker has faced similar lawsuits regarding its self-driving technology in the past, but those cases were either settled or dismissed before going to trial. Tesla believes there were significant legal errors during the trial that could lead to the verdict being overturned on appeal.
In April 2019, the tragic incident occurred when McGee’s Tesla collided with a parked Chevrolet Tahoe, where the victims were standing. The crash resulted in the death of Benavides Leon and severe injuries to Angulo, who was left with lifelong consequences.
As Tesla continues to navigate challenges related to its Autopilot system, the scrutiny surrounding its safety and reliability remains a focal point in discussions about automated driving technology.
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