A US jury has directed electric vehicle maker Tesla to pay more than $240 million in damages over a fatal 2019 crash involving its Autopilot driver assistance feature.
The crash claimed the life of 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and left her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, with serious injuries.
The couple was stargazing by the roadside when a Tesla Model 3 struck them late at night.
The driver admitted he was using his phone at the time, and the jury found Tesla’s Autopilot system partly responsible for the collision.
The panel concluded that the company could not avoid accountability for the technology failure.
According to court records, the jury awarded $200 million in punitive damages and $59 million in compensatory damages to Leon’s family.
Additionally, the court awarded Angulo $70 million for his injuries.
The ruling reflects growing recognition that responsibility in crashes involving automated driving technology must also extend to the companies that develop it, even in cases involving driver error.
Unlike earlier cases where courts dismissed claims or parties settled out of court, this Tesla driver-assist case reached a public verdict.
Legal experts suggest the outcome could encourage more victims to challenge tech companies over similar incidents.
Tesla Accused of Withholding Crucial Evidence
During the proceedings, the victims’ legal team accused Tesla of withholding key evidence, including video and data from the moments before the crash.
Although Tesla initially claimed the footage was unavailable, a forensic expert recovered the relevant data, contradicting the company’s claim.
Tesla later described the discrepancy as an honest mistake.
This high-profile decision comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk prepares to roll out driverless taxi services in select US cities later this year.
Although Tesla has since made significant updates to its Autopilot software, the verdict raises further questions about the system’s safety in real-world conditions.
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