Tesla Liable in Florida Autopilot Trial - $200M Damages Awarded

Tesla Found Partially Responsible in Fatal 2019 Autopilot Crash

A federal jury in Miami has determined that Tesla bears partial responsibility for a deadly 2019 collision involving its Autopilot driver assistance system.

Financial Penalties Assessed

The jury levied punitive damages exclusively against Tesla, as reported by CNBC. When combined with compensatory damages, the total amount awarded reaches approximately $242.5 million. This figure has been verified by the plaintiff’s legal counsel to TechCrunch.

Details of the Incident

The accident occurred when neither the vehicle’s driver nor the Autopilot system initiated braking in time to prevent entering an intersection. The car subsequently collided with an SUV, resulting in the death of a pedestrian. The jury apportioned two-thirds of the blame to the driver, while assigning one-third to Tesla. (A separate lawsuit was filed against the driver.)

Verdict Significance

This decision marks a significant legal outcome concerning driver assistance technology, representing one of the first major verdicts against Tesla in such a case. Previously, the company had resolved similar lawsuits concerning Autopilot claims through settlements.

Plaintiffs’ Attorney Statement

Brett Schreiber, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, stated to TechCrunch that Tesla intentionally designed Autopilot for use on controlled-access highways but deliberately refrained from restricting its operation in other environments. This occurred alongside statements from Elon Musk asserting that Autopilot outperformed human drivers.

“Tesla’s deceptive practices transformed our roadways into testing grounds for their fundamentally flawed technology, endangering individuals like Naibel Benavides and Dillon Angulo,” Schreiber explained. “The verdict delivered today provides justice for Naibel’s untimely death and Dillon’s enduring injuries, holding both Tesla and Mr. Musk accountable for prioritizing the company’s trillion-dollar valuation over human safety through exaggerated claims of self-driving capabilities.”

Tesla’s Response

In a statement to TechCrunch, Tesla announced its intention to appeal the verdict, citing “substantial errors of law and irregularities at trial.”

The company maintained that “Today’s verdict is incorrect and will impede advancements in automotive safety and potentially compromise the efforts of Tesla and the broader industry to develop and deploy life-saving technologies.” Tesla further asserted, “To clarify, no vehicle available in 2019, nor any currently, could have averted this collision. This incident was not attributable to Autopilot; it was a fabricated narrative presented by the plaintiffs’ legal team, placing blame on the vehicle despite the driver’s initial and consistent acceptance of responsibility.”

History of Claims Regarding Autopilot

Over several years, both Tesla and Elon Musk have made assertions regarding Autopilot’s capabilities, potentially fostering overconfidence in the system. This issue has been acknowledged by government officials and Mr. Musk himself.

NTSB Investigation Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reached a similar conclusion in 2020 following an investigation into a 2018 crash where the driver died after colliding with a concrete barrier. The driver, Walter Huang, was engaged in playing a mobile game while utilizing Autopilot. The NTSB subsequently issued recommendations, which Tesla reportedly did not fully implement, according to the safety board.

Musk’s Acknowledgment of Complacency

During a 2018 conference call, Musk identified “complacency” as a concern associated with driver assistance systems like Autopilot.

“Drivers often become overly accustomed to the system,” Musk stated. “The issue isn’t a lack of understanding regarding Autopilot’s capabilities, but rather drivers believing they possess a greater understanding than they actually do.”

Timing with Robotaxi Rollout

The trial coincided with Tesla’s initial deployment of its long-awaited Robotaxi network, beginning in Austin, Texas. These vehicles are equipped with an advanced version of Tesla’s driver assistance system, known as Full Self-Driving.

Update: This article has been updated to reflect the inclusion of compensatory damages in the total amount awarded.