Jury Selected in Federal Trial Over Tesla Autopilot Fatality

A federal jury was chosen in Miami on Monday for a civil lawsuit regarding a 2019 crash involving a Tesla Model S operating in Autopilot mode, which resulted in the death of a pedestrian and serious injury to another. The trial marks the first time Tesla faces a jury over a fatal incident allegedly linked to its Autopilot system.

During jury selection, several prospective jurors expressed strong opinions about Tesla and CEO Elon Musk, with some stating they could not be impartial due to Musk's public profile and the company's reputation. A Tesla attorney acknowledged Musk's close association with the brand, telling jurors, "It’s hard to hear the name Elon Musk and not have a view, positive or negative," but emphasized that the case centers on the incident itself rather than Musk personally.

The lawsuit was filed by the family of Naibel Benavides, the pedestrian who died, and her boyfriend Dillon Angulo, who was also injured. The plaintiffs allege that Tesla’s Autopilot feature was defective and unsafe. The driver of the vehicle, George McGee, is not a defendant, having reportedly settled with the plaintiffs previously.

Tesla's website describes Autopilot as an advanced driver assistance system designed to enhance safety and convenience, with a premium Full Self-Driving (Supervised) option offering additional automated features. In court, a lawyer for the plaintiffs argued that Tesla ignored warnings about the system and claimed the company failed to take responsibility for its role in the crash. The attorney also referenced public statements by Musk about the safety capabilities of Tesla vehicles.

In a statement, Tesla said, "The evidence clearly shows that this crash had nothing to do with Tesla’s Autopilot technology. Instead, like so many unfortunate accidents since cell phones were invented, this was caused by a distracted driver." The company maintained that the driver was responsible for the crash and that no available technology at the time could have prevented the incident.