Key points
- One died, one injured in Model S crash in 2019
- Tesla to appeal, blames driver
- Tesla shares down 1.8pc on Friday, 25pc this year
ISLAMABAD: A Florida jury on Friday found Tesla liable to pay $242 million to victims of a 2019 fatal crash of an Autopilot-equipped Model S, a verdict that could encourage more legal action against Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company.
The verdict is a rare win for victims of accidents involving Autopilot.
According to Reuters, Musk has been pushing to rapidly expand Tesla’s recently launched robotaxi business based on an advanced version of its driver assistance software.
Tesla shares fell 1.8 per cent on Friday and are down 25 per cent this year.
The plaintiffs had alleged that Autopilot was to blame when driver George McGee’s Tesla careened into a Chevrolet sport utility vehicle, killing Leon and injuring Angulo.
The jury awarded $200 million in punitive damages, plus $59 million in compensatory damages to Leon’s family and $70 million in damages to Angulo, according to court records.
“Justice was done”
Since the jury assigned one-third of the blame to Tesla, the compensatory damages will be reduced, Rousso said, with the total impact of the jury award totalling $242 million after these reductions.
“Justice was done,” Rousso said. “The jury heard all the evidence and came up with a fair and just verdict on behalf of our clients.”
Tesla will appeal the decision, according to its defence attorneys, AFP reported.
“Today’s verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardise Tesla’s and the entire industry’s efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology,” Tesla said through its legal team.
“The evidence has always shown that this driver was solely at fault because he was speeding, with his foot on the accelerator -– which overrode Autopilot –- as he rummaged for his dropped phone without his eyes on the road,” Tesla said.
“To be clear, no car in 2019, and none today, would have prevented this crash. This was never about Autopilot.”
