A Florida jury awarded $329 million to plaintiffs on Friday after linking Tesla's Autopilot feature to a 2019 crash that resulted in the death of a 22-year-old woman and severe injuries to her boyfriend.
The case arose from a collision involving a Tesla Model S that struck a parked SUV in Key Largo. The vehicle's driver had been using Autopilot shortly before the crash, reportedly taking his eyes off the road to retrieve a cellphone.
Tesla has denied wrongdoing and plans to appeal the jury's verdict. The company stated, “Today's verdict is wrong and jeopardizes efforts to develop life-saving technology.” Tesla maintains that the driver was primarily at fault, citing evidence that he was speeding and distracted when the crash occurred.
The plaintiffs argued that Tesla concealed critical data and encouraged drivers to excessively rely on Autopilot. Dillon Angulo, the injured party, stated, “This car was not safe and destroyed our lives. We need to hold Elon Musk and Tesla accountable.”
Angulo's legal team claims that Tesla “engaged in a scheme to hide” information relevant to the crash. An expert witness discovered additional data after Tesla had testified it provided all information regarding the incident.
The crash killed Naibel Benavides Leon and critically injured Angulo, both of whom were near the SUV at the time of impact.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident as legal proceedings unfold.