Tesla faces jury trial over Autopilot crash that killed student
What's the story
A federal jury trial has opened in Miami involving Tesla's Autopilot system following a 2019 crash in Key Largo, Florida. A Model S, operating with Autopilot engaged, failed to stop at a T-intersection and crashed into a parked SUV, killing Naibel Benavides Leon (20) and severely injuring her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo. The case comes at a critical time for the electric vehicle manufacturer as it pushes to expand its robotaxi service into more cities.
Legal strategies
Tesla's defense strategy in the case
The plaintiffs argue that Autopilot ignored a stop sign, didn't activate automatic emergency braking, and failed to warn the driver—evidence of defective design and negligent marketing. Tesla will argue that it should not be held liable for the crash because Autopilot was not fully operating the vehicle at the moment of impact. As per the company, Model S driver George McGee was inattentive. He was reaching for a dropped phone and that he overrode the system by pressing the accelerator.
Past cases
Tesla's past experiences with similar cases
Tesla has avoided liability for fatal crashes involving its products in the past. The company issued several recalls after a federal probe into multiple Autopilot-related accidents but was never criminally charged. In 2023, Elon Musk dismissed a question from investors about accepting legal liability for self-driving cars in the future. Despite these past cases, the judge presiding over this trial has allowed plaintiffs to seek punitive damages from Tesla.