Summary
Tesla is asking a federal court in Florida to dismiss a jury's decision that found the company partly responsible for a 2019 crash. The crash, involving Tesla's Autopilot software, led to the death of a pedestrian and serious injury to another person. Tesla says the driver was at fault and wants a new trial or reduced damages.
Key Facts
- In 2019, a Tesla crash with Autopilot contributed to the death of Naibel Benavides Leon and injured Dillon Angulo.
- A jury found Tesla partly liable and awarded $329 million in damages, $200 million of which were punitive (meant to prevent future misconduct).
- Tesla claims the fault lies with the driver who dropped his phone and failed to brake in time.
- Tesla argues the damage award goes against common sense and wants the verdict overturned or reduced.
- This case is notable as the first federal jury trial regarding Tesla's Autopilot in a fatal crash.
- Tesla argues the evidence presented was too prejudiced and irrelevant.
- Previous lawsuits related to Autopilot incidents have either settled or found Tesla not liable, such as a 2018 case with an Apple engineer.
