Jury Finds Tesla Partly Responsible in Fatal Autopilot Crash, Awards $329 Million in Damages

A federal jury in Miami has determined that Tesla holds partial responsibility for a 2019 crash involving its Autopilot driver assistance system, resulting in the death of 20-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and severe injuries to her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo. The jury awarded $329 million in punitive and compensatory damages, assigning one-third of the blame to Tesla and two-thirds to the driver, who was sued separately.

The incident occurred when neither the driver nor the Autopilot system braked in time to avoid a collision at an intersection, leading to the fatal crash. This verdict is among the first major legal rulings against Tesla concerning its driver assistance technology, as the company has previously settled similar lawsuits out of court.

Brett Schreiber, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, stated that Tesla designed Autopilot for controlled-access highways but chose not to restrict its use elsewhere, while CEO Elon Musk publicly promoted the system's capabilities. Schreiber said the verdict holds Tesla and Musk accountable for promoting self-driving technology without adequate safeguards.

Tesla announced plans to appeal the decision, asserting that the verdict was incorrect and could hinder the development of automotive safety technology. The company maintained that no vehicle available in 2019 or today could have prevented the crash, and argued that the case was not truly about Autopilot.

The trial took place as Tesla continues to develop and deploy more advanced versions of its driver assistance systems, including the rollout of its Robotaxi network in Austin, Texas.