Tesla to pay more than $200 million in damages after being found partly liable for fatal Autopilot crash

A federal jury in Florida found Tesla partly liable for a deadly 2019 crash involving Tesla’s Autopilot driver assist software, according to reports from The New York Times and CNBC. Tesla has been ordered to pay $200 million in punitive damages and about $43 million in compensatory damages, CBS News reports.

It’s a rare loss in court for Tesla over Autopilot, which has been linked to hundreds of crashes and dozens of deaths by the ​​National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The company won two jury trials in 2023 resulting from lawsuits alleging that Autopilot was to blame for crashes, and last year, a lawsuit challenging Tesla’s claims about Autopilot was dismissed by a federal judge. The loss also comes as Tesla is starting to test its robotaxi service in Austin and Bay Area — though in the latter location, it arguably isn’t a robotaxi service just yet.

Tesla’s Autopilot feature is designed to control a vehicle’s steering and brakes; however, some argue that the EV-maker has misled drivers about its cars’ capabilities. The California Department of Motor Vehicles, for example, has accused Tesla of falsely advertising its Autopilot and Full-Self Driving capabilities as autonomous driving features.

During the trial, which started in July, plaintiffs argued that Tesla’s driver-assist software was at fault for causing a crash that killed 22-year-old Naibel Benavides. While driving in Key Largo, Florida, Tesla owner George McGee crashed into Benavides’ vehicle after bending over to grab a phone that he had dropped. McGee told the jury he thought Autopilot “would protect him and prevent a serious crash if he made a mistake,” according to the NYT.

“Today’s verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla’s and the entire industry’s efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology,” the company said in a statement to the NYT. The company plans to appeal.