By David Fisher and Bernard Condon, Associated Press
Miami (AP) A Miami jury found Elon Musk’s Tesla automaker partially to blame for a fatal collision in Florida utilizing its Autopilot driver assistance system and ordered the business to compensate the victims with over $240 million.
The federal jury concluded that Tesla was largely to blame for the failure of its technology and that a careless driver—even one who acknowledged using his phone while driving—could not be held entirely accountable for the collision of a young couple who were out stargazing. Musk plans to launch a driverless taxi service in many cities in the upcoming months, and the decision comes as he tries to persuade Americans that his vehicles are safe enough to drive themselves.
The ruling concludes a four-year lawsuit that was noteworthy for both its conclusion and the fact that it proceeded to trial. Numerous claims of a similar nature against Tesla have been dismissed, and where that did not occur, the corporation reached a settlement to avoid the publicity of a trial.
Miguel Custodio, an automobile accident attorney not connected to the Tesla case, stated that this will unleash a torrent of new cases. Many will feel more comfortable appearing in court as a result.
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Lawyers for the family of the dead, 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon, and her injured lover, Dillon Angulo, have made shocking accusations in this case. They asserted that Tesla either misplaced or concealed important information, such as data and video taken just prior to the collision. After being provided the facts, Tesla admitted that it had erred and honestly had not believed it to be there.
Neima Benavides, Benavides’ sister, stated, “We finally found out what happened that night, that the car was actually defective.” Justice was served.
Family members of other victims in Tesla crashes have previously accused the automaker of being hesitant to provide important information, a claim the company has refuted. By employing a forensic data specialist who unearthed the evidence, the plaintiffs in this case demonstrated that Tesla possessed it all along, despite its repeated denials.
According to a statement from Tesla, the decision today is incorrect and will only hinder car safety and put the industry’s and Tesla’s efforts to create and apply lifesaving technology at risk. They claimed that after the driver acknowledged and took responsibility for the car from day one, the plaintiffs made up a scenario to place the blame.
The jury found that Tesla must pay $43 million of $129 million in compensatory damages for the crash, in addition to a $200 million punitive award. This means that the corporation will have to pay $243 million in total.
According to financial expert Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities, it’s a significant figure that will shock other industry participants. For Tesla, it’s not a good day.
According to Tesla, it will be appealed.
Even if that doesn’t work, the corporation claims that because of a pre-trial agreement that caps punitive damages at three times Tesla’s compensatory damages, it will ultimately pay much less than the jury found. In other words, $172 million instead of $243 million. However, the plaintiff claims that their agreement was predicated on a multiple of all compensatory losses, not just Tesla’s, and therefore the business will be required to pay the amount that the jury determined.
The extent to which the Miami case’s verdict will harm Tesla’s safety reputation is uncertain. Since the 2019 collision on a pitch-black country road in Key Largo, Florida, Tesla has significantly advanced its technology.
However, the question of whether or not people trust the firm in general was raised multiple times during the case, notably during Thursday’s final arguments. Brett Schreiber, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, claimed that Tesla’s use of the term “Autopilot” demonstrated its willingness to deceive people and put their lives in danger because the system only assists drivers with lane changes, slowing down their vehicles, and other tasks—far less than actually operating the vehicle itself.
According to Schreiber, other automakers include phrases like copilot and driver assist to ensure that drivers don’t rely too heavily on technology.
According to Schreiber, words count. A person who is playing fast and losing with words is also playing fast and losing with facts and information.
Schreiber admitted that George McGee, the driver, was careless when he crashed into a Chevrolet Tahoe that the couple had parked to see the stars after speeding past a stop sign, flashing lights, and a T-intersection at 62 miles per hour.
Benavides was launched 75 feet into the surrounding woods, where her body was eventually discovered, by the Tahoe’s intense spin. Angulo also suffered a traumatic brain injury and shattered bones as a result, arriving to the courtroom on Friday with a limp and a cushion to sit on.
However, Schreiber claimed that Tesla was still at fault. He added that by allowing drivers to use Autopilot on narrower roads that it was not intended for, such as the one McGee was traveling on, and by failing to turn off the system as soon as they started displaying signs of preoccupation, Tesla enabled drivers to behave irresponsibly.
During his testimony, McGee stated, “I trusted the technology too much.” I thought the automobile would alert you and apply the brakes if it saw something in front of it.
Joel Smith, the primary defense attorney in the Miami case, retorted that although Tesla advises drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road, McGee decided to speed while searching for a dropped cellphone, increasing the risk. Smith stated that the cause could only be attributed to McGee dropping his cellphone, pointing out that he had passed the crossing thirty or forty times before and had never been involved in an accident.
Because a finding of Tesla culpability despite a driver’s admission of dangerous activity would pose serious legal concerns for every firm as they create cars that increasingly drive themselves, the auto industry has been keenly monitoring the case.
From New York, Condon reported.
