Automobile giant, Tesla, aims to reverse a $243 million court ruling given in the wake of a deadly Autopilot incident.
Tesla is challenging a federal jury's decision that held the company accountable for a wrongful death involving its Autopilot system. In March, a Miami federal jury awarded $329 million in damages, with 33% of the liability assigned to Tesla and 67% to the driver, George McGee.
The jury's verdict marked the first time a federal jury has held Tesla accountable for a wrongful death involving Autopilot. According to court filings, Tesla's share of the award is $242.5 million.
Tesla's attorneys from Gibson Dunn are appealing the court ruling, arguing that the Model S had no design defects and the accident was due to McGee's reckless behavior. They contend that allowing the jury's decision to stand could "chill innovation, harm road safety, and punish manufacturers for bringing advanced safety features to market."
The attorneys also argue that McGee ignored or overrode every safety feature in his car. They claim that Tesla's request to reduce compensatory damages from $129 million to $69 million is justified, and that punitive damages should either be eliminated or reduced under Florida's statutory cap.
The statutory cap typically limits such penalties to three times compensatory damages. If the verdict is upheld, Tesla's payout would be around $23 million instead of $242.5 million.
The fatal crash occurred in Key Largo, Florida, in 2019. George McGee was driving the Tesla Model S, and Naibel Benavides was killed instantly. Dillon Angulo, Benavides' boyfriend, sustained life-altering injuries in the crash.
Before the trial, Tesla rejected a $60 million settlement offer from the plaintiffs. It is not clear who supported the attorney's official assistance requested by Tesla regarding the 2019 Florida car accident dynamics court ruling appeal.
The appeal aims to either throw out the $243 million verdict or order a new trial. Tesla argues that the damages awarded were excessive, and that the Model S had no design defects that contributed to the crash. The outcome of the appeal could have significant implications for Tesla and the future of autonomous driving technology.
