Federal Court Upholds $243M Verdict Against Tesla in Fatal Autopilot Crash Case
A federal judge has rejected Tesla's motion to overturn a $243 million jury verdict that found the electric vehicle manufacturer partially liable for a fatal collision involving its Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS).
In her ruling, Hon. Judge Beth Bloom stated: "The grounds for relief that Tesla relies upon are virtually the same as those Tesla put forth previously during the course of trial and in their briefings on summary judgment — arguments that were already considered and rejected. Furthermore, Tesla does not present additional arguments or controlling law that persuades this Court to alter its earlier decisions or the jury verdict."
The case stems from a 2019 fatal crash in Florida that resulted in the death of Naibel Benavides and left Dillon Angulo critically injured. In August of last year, a jury awarded the substantial verdict after determining liability in the incident.
Key findings from the jury verdict:
• The vehicle operator was assigned two-thirds (66.7%) of the liability
• Tesla was attributed one-third (33.3%) of the responsibility
• Punitive damages were assessed exclusively against Tesla, not the driver
Tesla's legal team had attempted to overturn the ruling by arguing that primary fault rested with the driver, who they claimed was the principal cause of the collision. However, the court found these arguments insufficient to warrant reversal of the jury's decision.
This ruling represents a significant legal precedent in the ongoing debate surrounding autonomous vehicle technology liability and manufacturer responsibility for ADAS-related incidents.
