Tesla wins fatal Autopilot crash jury trial

Image: New York Post

Tesla achieved another legal victory as a jury ruled in favor of the automaker, dismissing claims that its Autopilot advanced driver assistance system was responsible for a fatal accident.

The case took place in the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside and was brought forward by two passengers who survived a 2019 crash. They alleged that Tesla was aware of a defect in its product. The survivors sought $400 million in damages for the loss of the driver's life, physical injuries, and mental distress.

Tesla contended that the crash, which resulted in the driver Micah Lee's death, was a consequence of human error, consistent with its stance in previous Autopilot-related lawsuits.

While Tesla has prevailed in other lawsuits, including a California jury trial earlier this year that found the Autopilot system was not at fault for a 2019 crash, this case marked the first jury trial related to a fatality. In the previous case, the jury awarded no damages to the plaintiff.

Tesla is currently facing multiple other lawsuits in California, including a wrongful death suit filed by the family of Walter Huang, an Apple engineer who died in a Tesla Model X with Autopilot engaged. The suit alleges that errors in Tesla's Autopilot system led to the crash.

Tesla is also under scrutiny from federal and state regulators, primarily regarding Autopilot and its upgraded version, Full Self-Driving (FSD).

Tesla vehicles include a standard driver-assistance system known as Autopilot, with the option to upgrade to Enhanced Autopilot for additional features. For an even higher fee, Tesla owners can purchase "full self-driving" (FSD), a feature that CEO Elon Musk has claimed will eventually enable fully autonomous driving.

It's important to note that Tesla vehicles are not self-driving; FSD provides advanced automated driving features that still require the driver to be ready to take control at any moment. These features include steering on city streets and recognition of traffic lights and stop signs.

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#Tesla won a 2019 model 3 fatal crash case, clearing #Autopilot of defects. Yet a 2018 model x case, triggered by a fatal crash while the driver played a video game, awaits trial, spotlighting Autopilot’s safety. Both instances underline the legal challenges facing Tesla’s tech. pic.twitter.com/QqniECY7SB

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Source: TechCrunch

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