Tesla rejected $60 million settlement before losing $243 million Autopilot verdict https://t.co/kjthQ4XS58 https://t.co/kjthQ4XS58
Tesla rejected $60M settlement before losing $243M in deadly Autopilot crash case https://t.co/H2DnSa3CbJ https://t.co/iPZ1yiiQwn
Tesla could have avoided that $242.5M Autopilot verdict, filings show: https://t.co/ZzDdin1DE1 by TechCrunch #infosec #cybersecurity #technology #news
Tesla rejected a $60 million settlement offer in May in a wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from a 2019 crash involving a Model S with Autopilot engaged, according to court filings made public this week. Instead, a federal jury in Miami earlier this month awarded a $243 million verdict to the estate of Naibel Benavides Leon, who was killed, and her boyfriend Dillon Angulo, who was seriously injured when their parked Chevrolet Tahoe was struck by the Tesla. Jurors granted $129 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages, finding Tesla responsible for one-third of the compensatory amount—about $42.6 million—and all of the punitive award. The driver of the Model S was deemed 67% liable but was not a defendant in the case. Plaintiffs disclosed the rejected settlement while seeking reimbursement of legal fees, citing Florida law that allows such recovery from the date the offer was made. Tesla has denied wrongdoing, arguing that the verdict undermines efforts to advance safety technology, and says it will appeal. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say the case is the first U.S. trial over a third-party fatality attributed to Autopilot; earlier suits have been resolved or dismissed before reaching a jury.
