Jury Awards $329 Million in Tesla Autopilot Crash Case
A Florida jury awarded $329 million in damages on Friday related to a 2019 crash involving Tesla’s Autopilot feature, resulting in the death of 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and severe injuries to her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo.
The incident occurred in Key Largo, Florida, when the driver of a Tesla Model S, using Autopilot, crashed into a parked SUV while attempting to retrieve a dropped cellphone. Angulo was beside the SUV during the collision.
Plaintiffs accused Tesla of failing to disclose critical crash data and promoting over-reliance on Autopilot technology. Angulo stated, “This car was not safe and destroyed our lives,” emphasizing the need for accountability from Tesla and CEO Elon Musk.
In response, Tesla denied wrongdoing and announced its intention to appeal. The company claimed that the driver was predominantly responsible due to speeding and distraction. A Tesla representative stated, “This was never about Autopilot; it was a fiction concocted by plaintiffs’ lawyers.”
Tesla has acknowledged that it did not realize data from the Model S was missing at the time of the trial.
The case has prompted scrutiny regarding the safety and reliability of automated driving technologies.
No immediate details on potential further legal actions or investigations were available.