Latest news with #EnhancedAutopilot
Time of India
04-08-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Elon Musk's Tesla ordered to pay over $240 million for Autopilot crash case; company says ‘This was never about…'
Representative Image A US court has found Elon Musk's electric vehicle (EV) company, Tesla, partially liable for a fatal 2019 Autopilot crash. The Miami jury has ordered the EV maker to pay a portion of the $329 million in damages awarded to the family of the deceased and an injured survivor. The jury held Tesla responsible for 33% of the crash's fault. The total damages include $129 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages. Based on the jury's decision, Tesla will be responsible for paying nearly $42.5 million in compensatory damages. However, as punitive damages were exclusively assessed against Tesla, plaintiffs' attorneys expect the company to pay the full $200 million, potentially bringing its total payment to around $242.5 million. Tesla has stated its intention to appeal the decision. What Tesla said about the Autopilot crash order In a statement to CNBC, Tesla confirmed that it will appeal the decision. The company said: 'Today's verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla's and the entire industry's efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology. We plan to appeal given the substantial errors of law and irregularities at trial. Even though this jury found that the driver was overwhelmingly responsible for this tragic accident in 2019, the evidence has always shown that this driver was solely at fault because he was speeding, with his foot on the accelerator – which overrode Autopilot – as he rummaged for his dropped phone without his eyes on the road. To be clear, no car in 2019, and none today, would have prevented this crash. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The boy meets a dog on the street - no one expected what happened next. Women's Method Learn More Undo This was never about Autopilot; it was a fiction concocted by plaintiffs' lawyers blaming the car when the driver – from day one – admitted and accepted responsibility.' The trial, which began last month in Florida, focused on a fatal 2019 crash involving Tesla's Enhanced Autopilot system. George McGee, the Tesla driver, dropped his phone and assumed the Autopilot would brake if needed. Instead, the car accelerated through an intersection at over 60 mph, hitting a parked car and its owners. Naibel Benavides, 22, was killed, and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, was seriously injured. Plaintiffs' attorneys had sought $345 million in damages. In an emailed statement, Brett Schreiber, one of the plaintiffs' counsel, said: 'Tesla designed Autopilot only for controlled access highways yet deliberately chose not to restrict drivers from using it elsewhere, alongside Elon Musk telling the world Autopilot drove better than humans. Tesla's lies turned our roads into test tracks for their fundamentally flawed technology, putting everyday Americans like Naibel Benavides and Dillon Angulo in harm's way.'
Business Insider
02-08-2025
- Automotive
- Business Insider
Tesla (TSLA) Ordered to Pay $242.5M after Fatal Autopilot Accident
A Miami jury has ruled that EV maker Tesla (TSLA) is partly responsible for a 2019 crash that involved its Autopilot system, and ordered the company to pay $242.5 million in damages to the family of the victim and an injured survivor. The award includes $42.5 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages, which was below the $345 million sought by the plaintiffs. The case was heard in the Southern District of Florida and began on July 14. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. The lawsuit focused on a fatal accident in Key Largo, Florida, where Tesla owner George McGee was driving his Model S with Enhanced Autopilot engaged. McGee dropped his phone and reached down to retrieve it, believing the system would automatically brake for obstacles. Instead, the vehicle accelerated through an intersection at more than 60 mph, crashing into a parked car and striking its owners, 22-year-old Naibel Benavides and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo. Benavides died at the scene, while Angulo suffered multiple broken bones, a traumatic brain injury, and lasting psychological harm. Plaintiffs' attorney Brett Schreiber argued that Tesla marketed Autopilot as safer than human drivers and failed to limit its use to highways, which effectively turned public roads into test tracks. Interestingly, the verdict comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk works to convince investors that the company's autonomous driving technology is safe and has the potential for robotaxi fleets. Despite the news, Tesla shares fell only slightly on Friday and are down 25% year-to-date. What Is the Prediction for Tesla Stock? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on TSLA stock based on 14 Buys, 15 Holds, and eight Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average TSLA price target of $310.84 per share implies 2.8% upside potential.
Miami Herald
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Federal jury finds Tesla partly liable for fatal Autopilot crash
A jury in Miami has determined that Tesla should be held partly liable for a fatal 2019 crash involving the automaker's "Autopilot" driver-assist system, and is requiring Tesla to pay $329 million in damages to the family of the deceased and an injured survivor, multiple news outlets reported Friday. The payout includes $129 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages against Tesla, according to CNBC, while attorneys for the plaintiffs had asked the jury to award damages of around $345 million. The trial, which began in the Southern District of Florida July 14, is the first involving an Autopilot-related case in a federal court. The case involved an April 2019 crash in Key Largo, Florida. A Tesla Model S driven by George McGee sped through a stop sign and struck Naibel Benavides and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo. Benavides was killed, while Angulo was left with a traumatic brain injury and broken bones. The couple were standing near their parked car stargazing as McGee approached in his Tesla with the "Enhanced Autopilot" system engaged. He had dropped his phone and was trying to pick it up. During the trial, McGee reportedly said he believed Enhanced Autopilot would brake if an obstacle was in the way. Instead, the Model S continued at over 60 mph, striking the car and its owners, according to testimony. Tesla has argued that the fatal crash was wholly due to driver error, and continued to argue that its driver aids were safer than manual driving even as the trial went on, but the jury did find the automaker partly responsible in the end. As CNBC notes, the verdict could set a precedent for other Autopilot-related suits against Tesla. There are currently around a dozen cases in progress alleging that Autopilot or Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" system contributed to fatal or injurious crashes. The California DMV has also asked a state court to suspend Tesla's sales license for 30 days and levy financial penalties against the automaker due to alleged misleading promotion of its driver-assist tech. The DMV is reportedly concerned not only with names like Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, but also Tesla statements implying capabilities these systems don't have, such as one claiming that they are "designed to be able to conduct short and long-distance trips with no action required by the person in the driver's seat." All of this comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk doubles down on promises that the future of the company lies in automation, and that it can pivot from being primarily an automaker to operating fleets of autonomous vehicles. Musk has been making similar promises for at least nine years, but Tesla's declining sales and minimal product updates indicate very little effort is being put into the existing parts of its business. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
CNBC
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- CNBC
Tesla must pay $329 million in damages in fatal Autopilot case, jury says
A jury in Miami has determined that Tesla should be held partly liable for a fatal 2019 Autopilot crash, and must compensate the family of the deceased and an injured survivor damages of $329 million. The payout includes $129 million in compensatory damages, and $200 million in punitive damages against Tesla. Attorneys for the plaintiffs had asked the jury to award damages of around $345 million. The trial in the Southern District of Florida started on July 14. The suit centered around who shouldered the blame for the deadly crash in Key Largo, Florida. A Tesla owner named George McGee was driving his Model S electric sedan while using the company's Enhanced Autopilot, a partially automated driving system. While driving, McGee dropped his mobile phone that he was using and scrambled to pick it up. He said during the trial that he believed Enhanced Autopilot would brake if an obstacle was in the way. His Model S accelerated through an intersection at just over 60 miles per hour, hitting a nearby empty parked car and its owners, who were standing on the other side of their vehicle. Naibel Benavides, who was 22, died on the scene from injuries sustained in the crash. Her body was discovered about 75 feet away from the point of impact. Her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, survived but suffered multiple broken bones, a traumatic brain injury and psychological effects.
CNBC
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- CNBC
Tesla Autopilot plaintiffs seek $345 million in damages over fatal crash in Florida
Tesla is facing a crucial verdict in a personal injury trial over a fatal Autopilot crash in 2019, the first time Elon Musk's automaker has been in front of a jury on such a matter in federal court. Attorneys for the plaintiffs on Thursday asked the jury to award damages of around $345 million. That includes $109 million in compensatory damages and $236 million in punitive damages. The trial in the Southern District of Florida started on July 14. The suit centers around who shoulders the blame for a deadly crash that occurred in 2019 in Key Largo, Florida. A Tesla owner named George McGee was driving his Model S electric sedan while using the company's Enhanced Autopilot, a partially automated driving system. While driving, McGee dropped his mobile phone that he was using and scrambled to pick it up. He said during the trial that he believed Enhanced Autopilot would brake if an obstacle was in the way. He accelerated through an intersection at just over 60 miles per hour, hitting a nearby empty parked car and its owners, who were standing on the other side of their vehicle. Naibel Benavides, who was 22, died on the scene from injuries sustained in the crash. Her body was discovered about 75 feet away from the point of impact. Her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, survived but suffered multiple broken bones, a traumatic brain injury and psychological effects. The plaintiffs have included Benavides' surviving family members, and Angulo, who testified in the trial. Angulo is seeking compensation for his medical expenses and pain and suffering, while Benavides' estate is suing for wrongful death, pain and suffering, and other punitive damages. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs argued that Tesla's partially automated driving systems, marketed as Autopilot at the time, had dangerous defects, which should have been known and fixed by the company, and that use of Autopilot should have been limited to roads where it could perform safely. They also argued that Musk and Tesla made false statements to customers, shareholders and the public, overstating the safety benefits and capabilities of Autopilot, which encouraged drivers to overly rely on it. In opening arguments and throughout the trial, the plaintiffs' attorneys and expert witnesses cited a litany of Musk's past promises about Autopilot and Tesla's autonomous vehicle technology. The lawyers said Tesla attorneys countered in court that the company had communicated directly with customers about how to use Autopilot and other features, and that McGee's driving was to blame for the collision. They said in closing arguments that Tesla works to develop technology to save drivers' lives, and that a ruling against the EV maker would send the wrong message. The Benavides family had previously sued McGee and settled with him. McGee was charged in October 2019 with careless driving and didn't contest the charges. While Tesla has typically been able to settle cases or move Autopilot-related suits into arbitration and out of the public eye, Judge Beth Bloom in the Miami court wrote, in an order in early July, that the case could move ahead to trial. "A reasonable jury could find that Tesla acted in reckless disregard of human life for the sake of developing their product and maximizing profit," she wrote in that order. For closing arguments on Thursday, the Benavides family and Angulo were in the courtroom. They looked away from screens anytime a video or picture of the scene of the crash was displayed. --
