A Florida jury has found Tesla partially liable for a 2019 accident where a Model S using Autopilot struck and killed a pedestrian and severely injured another. The jury awarded up to $243 million in damages.
Plaintiffs argued the Autopilot system failed to alert the driver or brake in time. Tesla blamed the driver, George McGee, for the crash and called the verdict “wrong,” pledging to appeal.
The incident marks a legal and reputational setback for Tesla and CEO Elon Musk, who has heavily promoted self-driving technology. Following the ruling, Tesla’s stock fell nearly 2%.
Plaintiffs’ lawyers accused Musk of exaggerating Autopilot’s capabilities and allowing its use beyond its intended limits. “Tesla turned public roads into test tracks for unproven tech,” said attorney Brett Schreiber.
The case involved the death of 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and lifelong injuries to her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo. The crash occurred when McGee, distracted after dropping his phone, failed to stop at a T-intersection. Neither he nor the Autopilot system braked in time.
After a three-week trial, a Florida jury awarded $329 million in damages over a 2019 fatal crash involving Tesla’s Autopilot. The sum includes $129 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages intended to deter future misconduct. Tesla is liable for one-third of the compensatory damages ($42.5 million) and the full punitive amount, though the company believes the latter will be reduced.
In a statement, Tesla called the verdict “wrong,” warning it could hinder progress in automotive safety. The company argued the driver, George McGee, was solely responsible for the crash, as he was speeding, distracted, and had overridden Autopilot by pressing the accelerator. “No car in 2019 or today could have prevented this,” Tesla stated, accusing the plaintiffs’ lawyers of falsely blaming the technology.
The case marks Tesla’s first Autopilot-related fatal crash lawsuit to reach a jury. In previous incidents, the company opted to settle, including a 2018 crash involving an Apple engineer.
At trial, McGee admitted he expected Autopilot to assist if he made an error, claiming it failed him. He has since reached a separate settlement with the victims’ family.
Critics welcomed the ruling. “Tesla is finally being held accountable for its defective designs and grossly negligent engineering,” said robotics professor Missy Cummings.
The verdict comes amid declining Tesla sales, partly tied to CEO Elon Musk’s controversial public behavior.