Tesla ordered to pay $242mn over fatal autopilot crash

A Florida jury has ordered Tesla to pay $242 million in damages over a 2019 crash that killed a woman and seriously injured another passenger, with the company’s Autopilot system found partially responsible.

The crash occurred in Key Largo when a Tesla, driven by George McGee, collided with a Chevrolet SUV. The impact killed 27-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and injured her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo. The lawsuit, brought by Angulo and Leon’s family, alleged that Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system contributed to the crash.

On Friday, the jury awarded a total of $329 million: $200 million in punitive damages, $59 million in compensatory damages to Leon’s family, and $70 million to Angulo. However, because the jury assigned only one-third of the blame to Tesla, the final payout was reduced to $242 million.

“Justice was done,” said attorney Darren Jeffrey Rousso, who represented the plaintiffs. “The jury heard all the evidence and came up with a fair and just verdict on behalf of our clients.”

Tesla plans to appeal the verdict. In a statement, its legal team criticized the decision, calling it “wrong” and harmful to the development of safety technologies.

“The evidence has always shown that this driver was solely at fault — speeding, overriding Autopilot by pressing the accelerator, and not paying attention while searching for a dropped phone,” the company said. “To be clear, no car in 2019 — or today — would have prevented this crash. This was never about Autopilot.”

The verdict marks a significant legal challenge for Tesla as it continues to defend its driver assistance features, which remain under scrutiny by regulators and safety advocates.