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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla Ordered to Pay in Fatal Autopilot Crash Case
Tesla (TSLA, Financials) has been found partly liable for a fatal 2019 crash in Key Largo, Florida, involving its Autopilot driver-assistance system the first major Autopilot case to reach trial. A Miami jury ruled the automaker must pay about $242.5 million in damages to the family of 22-year-old Naibel Benavides, who was killed, and survivor Dillon Angulo. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 7 Warning Signs with WBD. The damages include roughly $42.5 million in compensatory payments and $200 million in punitive damages assessed solely against Tesla. The jury found the company 33% responsible for the crash, in which a Tesla Model S accelerated through an intersection and struck the victims while Autopilot was engaged. Most lawsuits over Tesla's driver-assist technology have been settled quietly; this case went public, and the jury sided with the plaintiffs' argument that Tesla misled consumers by marketing Autopilot as safer than it was while allowing it to operate on roads it wasn't designed for. Tesla countered that the driver, George McGee, was distracted while retrieving his dropped phone and had overridden Autopilot by pressing the accelerator. The verdict matters now because it lands as Tesla pushes toward a launch of fully autonomous robotaxis, which are already under scrutiny for safety concerns. Regulators may view the ruling as a signal to tighten oversight of advanced driver-assistance systems. Investor reaction has been swift Tesla shares fell 1.8% Friday, deepening a 25% decline year to date, the steepest drop among megacap tech companies. It also comes as other countries, including Australia, pursue class-action suits over similar alleged flaws. The outcome could influence global regulatory frameworks for autonomous driving, forcing companies to reconcile innovation with safety before scaling deployments. Today's verdict is wrong, Tesla said in a statement, adding it plans to appeal and reiterating its position that the crash was caused by driver negligence. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continues multiple investigations into Autopilot's performance and Tesla's claims about its capabilities. The ruling adds pressure on both Tesla and the broader autonomous vehicle industry to prove that technology billed as safer than human driving can deliver on its promises without compromising public safety. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Australian
02-08-2025
- Automotive
- The Australian
Elon Musk's Tesla ordered to pay $375m in Autopilot case
The jury found Tesla's system partly responsible for a crash in Key Largo that killed Naibel Benavides Leon and injured her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, according to attorney Darren Jeffrey Rousso, a partner at the law firm that represented Angulo and Leon's family. The plaintiffs had alleged that Autopilot was to blame when driver George McGee's Tesla careened into a Chevrolet sport utility vehicle, killing Leon and injuring Angulo. The jury awarded $US200 million ($309m) in punitive damages, plus $US59 million in compensatory damages to Leon's family and $US70 million in damages to Angulo, according to court records. Since the jury assigned one-third of the blame to Tesla, whose CEO is billionaire Elon Musk, the compensatory damages will be reduced, Rousso said, with the total impact of the jury award totalling $US242 million after these reductions. 'Justice was done,' Rousso said. 'The jury heard all the evidence and came up with a fair and just verdict on behalf of our clients.' Tesla will appeal the decision, according to its defence attorneys. 'Today's verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeapordise Tesla's and the entire industry's efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology,' Tesla said through its legal team. '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,' Tesla said. 'To be clear, no car in 2019, and none today, would have prevented this crash. This was never about Autopilot.' Read related topics: Elon Musk Motoring From Pakistan's 'Eighth Wonder' to Romania's serpentine masterpiece, these five roads push drivers to extreme limits where altitude sickness is just the beginning. The Weekend Australian Magazine Simon Davidson has been photographing Australia's classic and custom car scene with an artistic eye for decades. He especially loves to shoot burnouts.
The Verge
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- The Verge
Tesla to pay more than $200 million in damages after being found partly liable for fatal Autopilot crash
A federal jury in Florida found Tesla partly liable for a deadly 2019 crash involving Tesla's Autopilot driver assist software, according to reports from The New York Times and CNBC. Tesla has been ordered to pay $200 million in punitive damages and about $43 million in compensatory damages, CBS News reports. It's a rare loss in court for Tesla over Autopilot, which has been linked to hundreds of crashes and dozens of deaths by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The company won two jury trials in 2023 resulting from lawsuits alleging that Autopilot was to blame for crashes, and last year, a lawsuit challenging Tesla's claims about Autopilot was dismissed by a federal judge. The loss also comes as Tesla is starting to test its robotaxi service in Austin and Bay Area — though in the latter location, it arguably isn't a robotaxi service just yet. Tesla's Autopilot feature is designed to control a vehicle's steering and brakes; however, some argue that the EV-maker has misled drivers about its cars' capabilities. The California Department of Motor Vehicles, for example, has accused Tesla of falsely advertising its Autopilot and Full-Self Driving capabilities as autonomous driving features. During the trial, which started in July, plaintiffs argued that Tesla's driver-assist software was at fault for causing a crash that killed 22-year-old Naibel Benavides. While driving in Key Largo, Florida, Tesla owner George McGee crashed into Benavides' vehicle after bending over to grab a phone that he had dropped. McGee told the jury he thought Autopilot 'would protect him and prevent a serious crash if he made a mistake,' according to the NYT. '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,' the company said in a statement to the NYT. The company plans to appeal. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Jay Peters Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Electric Cars Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tesla Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Transportation
News.com.au
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Tesla ordered to pay $US242 million in Autopilot death
A Florida jury on Friday ordered Tesla to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to plaintiffs who blamed a deadly 2019 crash on the company's 'Autopilot' driver assistance technology. The jury found Tesla's system partly responsible for a crash in Key Largo that killed Naibel Benavides Leon and injured her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, according to attorney Darren Jeffrey Rousso, a partner at the law firm that represented Angulo and Leon's family. The plaintiffs had alleged that Autopilot was to blame when driver George McGee's Tesla careened into a Chevrolet sport utility vehicle, killing Leon and injuring Angulo. The jury awarded $US200 million ($309 million) in punitive damages, plus $US59 million ($91 million) in compensatory damages to Leon's family and $US70 million ($108 million) in damages to Angulo, according to court records. Since the jury assigned one-third of the blame to Tesla, the compensatory damages will be reduced, Rousso said, with the total impact of the jury award totalling $US242 million ($374 million) after these reductions. 'Justice was done,' Mr Rousso said. 'The jury heard all the evidence and came up with a fair and just verdict on behalf of our clients.' Tesla will appeal the decision, according to its defense attorneys. 'Today's verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeapordise Tesla's and the entire industry's efforts to develop and implement lifesaving technology,' Tesla said through its legal team. '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. This was never about Autopilot.'
Auto Blog
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Federal jury finds Tesla partly liable for fatal Autopilot crash
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. The Macan will return with gas power, only it won't be the Macan at all. Tesla Could Now Be On The Hook For Other Autopilot Cases 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. Previous Pause Next Unmute 0:00 / 0:10 Full screen Rivian R1T delivers on this EV feature that Tesla forgot Watch More 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. Technological Vs. Human Error Source: Tesla By providing your email address, you agree that it may be used pursuant to Arena Group's Privacy Policy. 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. More Trouble For Tesla? Source: Tesla Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. 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. About the Author Stephen Edelstein View Profile
