The case involving a fatal crash with Tesla Autopilot is garnering attention as victims and their families seek $345 million in damages in a wrongful death court case. The incident occurred in Key Largo in April 2019 when George McGee was driving his Model S on Autopilot and crashed into a parked Chevrolet Tahoe after dropping his phone.
22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon lost her life in the crash, while her boyfriend Dillon Angulo suffered serious injuries. McGee settled with the plaintiffs, but Tesla has not. The trial, which lasted almost a month, recently concluded with both parties presenting their closing arguments.
The plaintiffs are seeking $345 million in damages, citing Tesla’s alleged negligence in releasing and marketing Autopilot, leading drivers to be overconfident in the system. Tesla, on the other hand, has placed the blame on McGee, who admitted to being distracted at the time of the crash. The automaker also claims to have telemetry data showing that the driver pressed the accelerator pedal, although the handling of this data has been called into question.
Tesla has recently settled several wrongful death lawsuits involving its ADAS systems, raising concerns about the safety and effectiveness of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features. In an update, the jury found Tesla liable in the fatal Autopilot crash, awarding the plaintiffs $329 million in damages.
This trial is closely watched by legal teams handling other fatal crashes involving Tesla’s ADAS systems. The outcome of this case could have implications for future lawsuits and the accountability of automakers in accidents involving autonomous driving technologies. It remains to be seen how Tesla will navigate the aftermath of this verdict and address concerns about the safety of its autonomous features.
