Elon Musk’s Tesla is facing its first federal jury trial over a fatal crash involving its “Autopilot” driver-assist system, marking a significant legal challenge for the EV giant.
The New York Times reports that in a case that could have major implications for Tesla and its self-driving technology, the company is set to defend itself in a federal court in Miami as jury selection begins today. The lawsuit, filed by the family of Naibel Benavides, who was killed in a 2019 crash, and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, who survived with severe injuries, represents the first time a federal case involving Tesla’s Autopilot has reached a jury trial.
The fatal accident occurred on April 25, 2019, when a Tesla Model S driven by George Brian McGee crashed into a parked SUV on a two-lane road in South Florida. At the time of the crash, the Autopilot system was engaged, and McGee had dropped his cellphone, taking his eyes off the road to search for it. Benavides, a 22-year-old college student, was standing outside the SUV and was killed, while Angulo sustained multiple broken bones and a severe concussion.
Tesla’s attorneys are expected to argue that Autopilot was not fully in control of the car at the time of the crash and that McGee, who had his foot on the accelerator, pushing the car’s speed to 62 mph in a 45 mph zone, was solely responsible for the accident. However, the plaintiffs are likely to focus on the Autopilot system’s supposed failure to ensure driver attentiveness and the car’s automatic emergency braking system, which should have activated even if part of Autopilot control was overridden.
The plaintiffs have obtained detailed video imagery from the car’s computer, showing that the Autopilot system recognized the parked SUV, one pedestrian, and the end of the roadway. They claim that Autopilot should have activated the brakes and warned the driver of the imminent crash.
This case comes at a critical juncture for Tesla, as its sales have been declining due to factors including increasing competition and Elon Musk angering the company’s core customer base of strident leftists. If the jury finds Autopilot to be flawed and partly responsible for the crash, it could significantly impact the company’s reputation and stock market value, which is largely based on its promises to develop self-driving vehicles.
The stakes are high, as the presiding judge, Beth Bloom, has ruled that the plaintiffs may seek punitive damages from Tesla. In an order issued on July 7, Judge Bloom wrote, “A reasonable jury could find that Tesla acted in reckless disregard of human life for the sake of developing their product and maximizing profit.”
The plaintiffs are expected to use Elon Musk’s past statements about Autopilot’s capabilities to argue that he exaggerated the system’s performance, leading some drivers to believe it was safe to stop paying attention while at the wheel. They also plan to present deposition testimony from Tesla employees, including an Autopilot engineer, to support their case.
Read more at the New York Times here.
Correction — This story as published indicated this is the first jury trial involving a Tesla Autopilot crash, but it is in fact the first federal trial. There have been jury trials at lower jurisdictions in the past.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
