A Florida jury has determined that Tesla shares part of the blame for a fatal 2019 crash involving a Model S sedan that utilized its Autopilot self-driving software. The accident claimed the life of a pedestrian while leaving another severely injured, raising significant concerns about the technology’s safety.
Attorney Brett Schreiber, representing the plaintiffs, argued that the Autopilot system failed to alert the driver, George McGee, and did not activate the brakes before the crash occurred. Tesla, however, insisted that McGee was solely responsible, labeling the verdict “wrong” and announcing plans to appeal. As a result of the jury’s decision, the company may face up to $243 million in punitive and compensatory damages.
The jury’s finding poses a setback for both Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, who has frequently touted automated driving technology as crucial to the company’s future success. Following the verdict, Tesla’s stock declined nearly 2% by the end of the trading day.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys contended that Musk misrepresented the capabilities of the Autopilot system. Schreiber emphasized that Tesla designed Autopilot primarily for highways but allowed its use in other settings, arguing, “Tesla’s lies turned our roads into test tracks for their fundamentally flawed technology.”
The lawsuit stemmed from the death of Naibel Benavides Leon, 22, who was killed when the Model S struck her at a T-intersection in the Florida Keys. Her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, also engaged in the lawsuit, suffering life-altering injuries during the incident. Testimony revealed that McGee lost focus on the road while searching for his phone, causing the vehicle to collide with a parked SUV where the victims were standing.
Jurors awarded a total of $329 million, which includes $129 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages intended to deter Tesla from any similar future actions. Tesla is responsible for one-third of the compensatory damages, equating to $42.5 million, while it will bear the total punitive damages, although the company noted that these may be subject to reduction.
In their defense, Tesla asserted that the driver was at fault, claiming he exceeded the speed limit with his foot on the accelerator while distracted. The company stated, “No car in 2019, and none today, would have prevented this crash,” and emphasized that the responsibility rested with McGee, who acknowledged his own culpability.
This case is notable as it represents the first federal lawsuit regarding Autopilot that has proceeded to a jury, amidst ongoing scrutiny of Tesla’s self-driving technology. Previously, Tesla settled a lawsuit tied to a 2018 crash involving an Apple engineer, while another jury found the company not liable in a separate incident linked to Autopilot.
McGee indicated that he believed Autopilot would assist him in the event of a failure, expressing disappointment that the system did not perform as expected. He has since settled a related lawsuit with the plaintiffs for an undisclosed amount.
The jury’s ruling has gained attention amid Tesla’s struggles with declining sales, which some attribute to Musk’s political undertakings. Critics of Tesla have welcomed the verdict, viewing it as a necessary accountability for the company’s engineering practices. Notable among them is Missy Cummings, a robotics professor at George Mason University, who stated that the decision reflects the need for greater scrutiny of Tesla’s designs.
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