Tesla loses bid to overturn $243M Autopilot verdict

Source: TechCrunch

Background

A jury awarded a $243 million verdict against Tesla for its role in a 2019 fatal crash in Florida that killed Naibel Benavides and critically injured Dillon Angulo. The jury found the driver two‑thirds at fault and Tesla one‑third at fault, assessing punitive damages only against the automaker. source

Judge’s Decision

U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom denied Tesla’s request to overturn the verdict. In her order, she wrote:

“The grounds for relief that Tesla relies upon are virtually the same as those Tesla put forth previously during the course of trial and in their briefings on summary judgment — arguments that were already considered and rejected. Furthermore, Tesla does not present additional arguments or controlling law that persuades this Court to alter its earlier decisions or the jury verdict.” order

Jury Verdict Details

• Total damages: $243 million
• Fault allocation:
  • Driver: 66 %
  • Tesla (Autopilot system): 33 %
• Punitive damages: Applied only to Tesla

Tesla’s Argument

In its motion to reverse the ruling, Tesla argued that the driver bore the primary responsibility for the crash, contending that the driver’s actions contributed significantly to the incident. The court, however, found no merit in these arguments.