A federal jury in Miami has found Tesla partially liable for a fatal crash involving its Autopilot system, ordering the company to pay $243 million in damages.
The verdict stems from a 2019 collision in Key Largo, Florida, where a Tesla Model S—operating with Autopilot enabled—struck two pedestrians. The crash killed 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and left her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, with serious injuries, including broken bones and brain trauma.
Jurors awarded $43 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages to the victims’ families. The case is one of the first to hold Tesla legally accountable for the actions of a driver using its driver-assistance technology, despite warnings that drivers must remain alert and in control.
The driver, George McGee, admitted he was distracted while reaching for his phone. But the jury determined that Tesla shared responsibility for allowing Autopilot to operate on a road it wasn’t designed for and for failing to disengage the system when the driver became inattentive.
During the trial, plaintiffs presented forensic evidence showing Tesla initially denied possessing crucial crash data and video, which was later recovered. Tesla has since acknowledged the mistake and said it plans to appeal the verdict.
“This decision sets a new precedent,” said a legal expert following the trial. “It signals that juries may no longer see driver distraction as the sole cause in tech-assisted collisions.”
The ruling could have broader implications for the auto industry, as companies move toward fully autonomous driving. Tesla maintains that Autopilot enhances safety and is not a replacement for an attentive driver.
Shares of Tesla fell 1.5% following the verdict.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he ordered a military strike targeting Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh) militants in Nigeria to be delayed by one...
At least eight people were killed and 18 others injured in an explosion at the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood of Ho...
Russian attacks on the cities of Kharkiv and Uman on 25–26 December 2025 killed at least two people and injured 14, local authorities reported....
The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, held in Tianjin, China, has been hailed as one of the most significant gatherings in the bloc...
The move is intended to combine digital innovation and long-term infrastructure planning with further modernise urban mobility while strengthening the...
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he ordered a military strike targeting Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh) militants in Nigeria to be delayed by one day, calling the attack a “Christmas present” to the terror group.
At least eight people were killed and 18 others injured in an explosion at the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood of Homs on Friday, Syrian authorities said.
Russian attacks on the cities of Kharkiv and Uman on 25–26 December 2025 killed at least two people and injured 14, local authorities reported.
The tectonic plates of global trade and geopolitics are shifting, demanding that regional cooperative structures evolve to match new strategic realities.
A majority of Russians expect the war in Ukraine to end in 2026, state pollster VTsIOM said on Wednesday, in a sign that the Kremlin could be testing public reaction to a possible peace settlement as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict intensify.
In 2025, Ukraine lived two parallel realities: one of diplomacy filled with staged optimism, and another shaped by a war that showed no sign of letting up.
It’s been a year since an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. Relatives and loved ones mourn the victims, as authorities near the final stage of their investigation.
Polish fighter jets on Thursday intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near Poland’s airspace over the Baltic Sea and escorted it away from their area of responsibility.
The United States carried out a strike against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government, President Donald Trump and the U.S. military said on Thursday.
Three women were injured on Friday after being stabbed by a man on Line 3 of the Paris metro, local authorities reported.
Russia is likely preparing to station its new nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missiles at a former airbase in eastern Belarus, a move that could extend Moscow’s strike reach across Europe, according to an exclusive Reuters report.
Israel on Friday became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent state, a move that has been condemned by Somalia, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the African Union (AU).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Russia is using territory in neighbouring Belarus to support attacks on Ukrainian targets and to circumvent Kyiv’s defensive positions, warning that the practice undermines Belarusian sovereignty.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he ordered a military strike targeting Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh) militants in Nigeria to be delayed by one day, calling the attack a “Christmas present” to the terror group.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment