Tesla Held Partially Responsible in Fatal Autopilot Crash, Ordered to Pay $243M

A Florida jury found Tesla partly liable in a 2019 fatal Autopilot crash, awarding $243 million in damages. The verdict marks the first jury decision involving Tesla’s self-driving software and raises concerns about the company’s technology and public messaging. Tesla plans to appeal, calling the outcome misguided.

A Florida jury has found Tesla partially liable for a 2019 crash involving its Model S vehicle, which was operating on Autopilot when it fatally struck a pedestrian and left another with permanent injuries. The accident occurred at a T-intersection in the Florida Keys, where 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon was killed and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, was severely injured. The verdict follows a three-week trial and orders Tesla to pay $243 million in punitive and compensatory damages.

Tesla argued that the driver, George McGee, was entirely at fault as he dropped his phone and lost focus moments before the collision. The company said the Autopilot system was overridden because the driver had his foot on the accelerator. Despite Tesla's claims that the software was not to blame, the jury found that Tesla's failure to restrict Autopilot’s use to highways, along with Elon Musk’s public claims about its capabilities, contributed to the fatal outcome.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys accused Tesla of turning public roads into testing grounds for unproven technology and misleading users about Autopilot’s abilities. McGee testified that he relied on the system to prevent accidents in case of human error, suggesting misplaced trust in the vehicle’s automation. Tesla said the verdict undermines the broader effort to advance automotive safety, promising to appeal the decision.

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This is the first Autopilot-related case to reach a jury trial. Tesla had previously settled similar lawsuits privately. Industry experts say the ruling could set a precedent, reinforcing the need for accountability in the deployment of autonomous systems. Meanwhile, Tesla’s shares dipped nearly 2% following the decision, amid increasing scrutiny of the company’s technology and Elon Musk’s leadership.