Tesla is at the center of a federal lawsuit in Florida over a fatal crash involving Autopilot. It is the first time Elon Musk's company has faced a jury in such a case. The plaintiffs are seeking about $345 million, including $109 million in compensatory damages and $236 million in punitive damages, CNBC reports.
The incident occurred in 2019 in Key Largo. Model S owner George McGee was driving with Enhanced Autopilot on, dropped his phone, and leaned over to pick it up. He expected the system to brake in case of danger. However, the car drove through an intersection at a speed of more than 100 km/h, crashed into a parked empty car, and knocked down its owners. 22-year-old Naybel Benavides died at the scene, her body thrown 23 meters. Her boyfriend Dillon Angulo survived, but suffered multiple fractures, a traumatic brain injury, and psychological consequences.
The plaintiffs are the Benavides and Angulo families. They accuse Tesla of dangerous defects in Autopilot, which, in their opinion, should have been limited to roads where it could operate safely. The lawyers emphasize that Musk and the company exaggerated the safety and capabilities of the system, encouraging drivers to rely on it excessively.
Tesla's lawyers respond that the company clearly informed owners about the rules for using Autopilot, and the driver is to blame for the tragedy. They emphasized that Tesla's technology is designed to save lives, and a decision against the company would send the wrong signal.
Judge Beth Bloom allowed the case to go to a jury, saying that "a jury could find Tesla's actions to be reckless disregard for human life for profit." The Benavides family previously settled a separate lawsuit with McGee, who was accused of reckless driving.