Tesla Found Partly Liable in Fatal Autopilot Crash, Jury Awards $200M in Damages

A jury has found Tesla partly liable for a 2019 fatal crash that involved the company's Autopilot driver assistance system. The jury awarded the plaintiffs $200 million in punitive damages and attributed one-third of the blame to Tesla, with the driver responsible for two-thirds. This is one of the first major legal decisions against Tesla regarding driver assistance technology.

A federal jury in Miami has ruled that Tesla is partly liable for a 2019 fatal crash that involved the company's Autopilot driver assistance system. The jury awarded the plaintiffs $200 million in punitive damages and attributed one-third of the blame to Tesla, with the driver responsible for two-thirds of the fault. This verdict marks one of the first major legal decisions against Tesla regarding driver assistance technology.

The crash occurred in the Florida Keys, where a Tesla Model S sedan was traveling at 62 miles per hour when it failed to stop at an intersection, striking a parked SUV and killing 20-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon. The incident also severely injured her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo. The driver, George McGee, was reaching for a dropped cellphone at the time of the crash.

The jury's decision follows a three-week trial that focused on the marketing and capabilities of Tesla's Autopilot system. Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that Tesla oversold the capabilities of Autopilot, leading the driver to become distracted and take his eyes off the road. Tesla, however, maintained that the driver was solely responsible for the crash.

The verdict comes at a critical time for Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk. The company has long touted Autopilot and its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software as significant advancements in automobile safety. However, federal regulators and California counterparts have raised concerns about the safety of Tesla's systems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has cited Autopilot in at least 467 collisions, including 13 fatal crashes [1].

This decision could have significant implications for Tesla's reputation and regulatory environment. As the company continues to push the boundaries of autonomous driving technology, it will need to navigate a complex legal and regulatory landscape. The verdict underscores the importance of clear communication about the limitations of driver-assistance systems and the need for human oversight.

References:
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tesla-autopilot-crash-trial-verdict-partly-liable-rcna222344
[2] https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/01/tesla-partly-liable-in-florida-autopilot-trial-jury-awards-200m-punitive-damages/