Autonomous vehicle manufacturer Tesla initiates legal action against two fatal autopilot collisions, leveraging confidential contrasts.
Tesla Challenges Florida Verdict in Autopilot Fatality Case
In a recent development, Tesla has filed a motion to invalidate a jury's verdict in the Florida case involving a fatal accident involving a Tesla Model S with Autopilot. This move comes after the family of the woman killed in the accident was awarded $243 million in damages in early August.
The motion follows Elon Musk's statement in May 2022, where he declared that Tesla would never give up or settle in unjustified cases. This stance could suggest that Tesla's decision not to settle the Florida case, despite having the opportunity to do so for $60 million, is based on their belief that the verdict was unjustified.
The terms of the settlements in two fatal Autopilot accidents in California in 2019 remain confidential, making it unclear how much Tesla paid to settle those cases. The first lawsuit resulted from a rear-end collision involving a Tesla Model 3 and a car carrying a 15-year-old boy. The second lawsuit was due to a Model S running a red light and hitting a Honda at an intersection, resulting in two fatalities.
If Musk's statement still holds, Tesla's indirect admission of Autopilot's responsibility for the fatal accidents in California in 2019 can be inferred. However, the specific lawyers who represented these cases are not named in available sources.
The California cases were settled confidentially, before negotiations over the plaintiffs' demands began and a verdict was reached. The reason for Tesla's decision to settle these cases remains unclear.
In the Florida case, the lawyer who successfully represented the family of the woman killed in the accident also represented the family of the teenager killed in one of the California accidents. The lawyer's statements suggest a potential higher payout for the California case compared to the Florida case, due to even better evidence and a higher chance of a larger payout.
There are more than 50 known fatal accidents involving Autopilot or FSD from Tesla, according to an Electrek report. Tesla's stance on these cases underscores their commitment to maintaining the safety and reliability of their Autopilot system.
As the legal proceedings continue, it remains to be seen how Tesla will navigate these complex cases and what implications they may have for the future of autonomous driving technology.
