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.
Netflix (NFLX) missed Wall Street third-quarter earnings targets due to an unexpected expense from a dispute with Brazilian tax authorities, though it...
Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia have strengthened their strategic economic partnership with new projects in the capital’s development plan, including th...
European nations are working with Ukraine on a new ceasefire proposal along current battle lines, aiming to keep the United States in a central role, ...
The leaders of 19 European Union nations have called on the bloc to launch a renewed effort to “review, reduce and restrain” legislation in order ...
A group of independent United Nations experts has condemned recent U.S. military strikes against vessels linked to Venezuela as a dangerous escalation...
Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia have strengthened their strategic economic partnership with new projects in the capital’s development plan, including the construction of the ‘Riyadh Quarter’ in New Tashkent and the launch of a new international airport.
European nations are working with Ukraine on a new ceasefire proposal along current battle lines, aiming to keep the United States in a central role, four European diplomats told reporters on Tuesday.
The leaders of 19 European Union nations have called on the bloc to launch a renewed effort to “review, reduce and restrain” legislation in order to boost economic competitiveness, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
Netflix (NFLX) missed Wall Street third-quarter earnings targets due to an unexpected expense from a dispute with Brazilian tax authorities, though it offered a slightly stronger-than-expected forecast for the rest of the year.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
President Donald Trump rejected a request from leading Democratic lawmakers to meet until the three-week-old U.S. government shutdown is brought to an end on Tuesday.
A Colombian court has overturned former President Álvaro Uribe’s convictions for fraud and bribery, halting a years-long legal saga that had made him the country’s first ex-leader to face criminal sentencing.
A Jan. 6 rioter who was pardoned by President Donald Trump has been charged with making terroristic threats after allegedly sending text messages that threatened to kill House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to a felony complaint filed in New York state court.
Netflix (NFLX) missed Wall Street third-quarter earnings targets due to an unexpected expense from a dispute with Brazilian tax authorities, though it offered a slightly stronger-than-expected forecast for the rest of the year.
Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia have strengthened their strategic economic partnership with new projects in the capital’s development plan, including the construction of the ‘Riyadh Quarter’ in New Tashkent and the launch of a new international airport.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment