The Miami jury found Tesla’s Autopilot guilty of the fatal Florida car crash in 2019, leaving one dead and the other gravely injured. As per the verdict, the victims were awarded $242 million in damages resulting from the automaker’s actions. Earlier, the plaintiffs had sought $345 million for the same.
It took the jury seven hours to demand accountability from industry giant Tesla. The EV makers have been instructed to pay $200 million in punitive damages and another $42.6 million in compensatory damages to the family of the victim who survived.
In the fatal car crash in the Florida Keys in 2019, Naibel Benavides (22) suffered severe injuries and died on the spot. Her co-passenger, Dillon Angulo, 33, survived but went through physical and psychological trauma.
Tesla under trial
While this is the first time Tesla has appeared in federal court, the verdict from the Miami jury is nothing short of historical. This is the third attempt over the past three years that jurors have found culpability with Tesla’s Autopilot system at trial. Attorney Brett Schreiber called it a “historical marker”, reported the Miami Herald. Many similar cases have been dismissed in the past through settlements reached before trial to avoid public scrutiny.
“It’s rare when regular people have the opportunity to change the world, and this is what this verdict did,” said Schreiber. This comes after Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO, made attempts to convince the US residents that the cars are safe enough to drive on their own, as he plans a driverless taxi service soon. Tesla also opened their first flagship store in India in July, as it gears up for another rumoured opening in the capital.
Florida car crash case
Tesla‘s defence held the blame against the reckless driving of George McGee, the car owner. But the federal jury held that the EV mogul bore significant responsibility due to a failure in technology, and not careless driving alone, caused the crash.
In this case, it was found that McGee put the car in Autopilot, and as soon as he bent down, the car accelerated to nearly 100 kmph and rammed into the parked car with the victims inside.
News agency AP reported that Tesla hid or lost key evidence, as the data or video recording of seconds before the crash was not brought up. However, after the trial, the sister of the victim exclaimed, “Justice was achieved.”