Tesla settles lawsuit over 2019 fatal crash involving Autopilot
What's the story
Tesla has settled a high-profile lawsuit over a fatal crash in 2019 involving its Autopilot system. The case was filed after the driver of a Model 3 died when the vehicle's automated driving system allegedly failed to avoid hitting a tractor-trailer on a Florida highway. The confidential settlement was revealed in a court filing earlier this month, ahead of another trial related to another deadly crash linked to Tesla's driver-assistance technology.
Ongoing litigation
Lawsuit challenged Musk's claims that Teslas are the safest cars
The settlement comes ahead of a separate trial in Miami this week over another 2019 crash in Florida involving Tesla's driver-assistance system. The lawsuit was one of the first to allege defects in the software and challenge Elon Musk's claims that Teslas are the safest cars. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board had blamed "inattention due to over-reliance on automation" for the driver's failure to react in time.
Technology critique
NTSB report criticized Tesla's technology
The NTSB's 2020 report also criticized Tesla's technology for not adequately monitoring and ensuring driver engagement. It noted that "the Autopilot system did not send a visual or audible warning to the driver to put his hands back on the steering wheel." Tesla representative declined to comment on the settlement, which is just one of many out-of-court agreements reached by the company in cases heading toward trial.
Past agreements
Tesla had previously settled with the estate of Walter Huang
Last year, Tesla had settled with the estate of Walter Huang, an Apple engineer who died in a Northern California highway crash while using his Model X on Autopilot. Trey Lytal, a lawyer for the widow of the 2019 crash victim, said he couldn't comment on how much Tesla agreed to pay. However, he did say that lawsuits against Tesla have "made a big difference" and emphasized that jury trials hold Tesla accountable for its actions.