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Tesla asks court to throw out fatal crash verdict

Tesla asks court to throw out fatal crash verdict

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.
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