Tesla is on the hook for $329 million after a federal jury blamed it for a fatal 2019 crash involving Autopilot. The Miami jury found Tesla one-third responsible; the driver took two-thirds of the blame. The driver and Autopilot failed to brake at an intersection, hitting an SUV and killing pedestrian Naibel Benavides Leon.
The crash also badly injured her boyfriend Dillon Angulo. This verdict is a rare legal loss for Tesla over Autopilot tech, which usually settles out of court.
Plaintiffs’ lead lawyer Brett Schreiber called out Tesla for enabling Autopilot outside highways despite Elon Musk’s claims that it outdrives humans. 
Brett Schreiber stated
“Tesla designed Autopilot ‘only for controlled access highways yet deliberately chose not to restrict drivers from using it elsewhere, alongside Elon Musk telling the world Autopilot drove better than humans.”
“Tesla’s lies turned our roads into test tracks for their fundamentally flawed technology, putting everyday Americans like Naibel Benavides and Dillon Angulo in harm’s way.”
“Today’s verdict represents justice for Naibel’s tragic death and Dillon’s lifelong injuries, holding Tesla and Musk accountable for propping up the company’s trillion-dollar valuation with self-driving hype at the expense of human lives.”
Tesla vows to appeal, calling the verdict “wrong” and blaming driver responsibility.
Tesla said
“Today’s verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla’s and the entire industry’s efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology.”
“To be clear, no car in 2019, and none today, would have prevented this crash. This was never about Autopilot; it was a fiction concocted by plaintiffs’ lawyers blaming the car when the driver — from day one — admitted and accepted responsibility.”
This comes as Tesla rolls out its Full Self-Driving features tied to the Robotaxi network trial in Austin. Past investigations, including a high-profile NTSB report, criticized Tesla over Autopilot misuse and ignoring safety recommendations, fueling controversy around its claims. Elon Musk has acknowledged driver complacency on Autopilot.
The lawsuit marks a significant moment as Tesla faces mounting legal pressure over Autopilot’s real-world safety versus public messaging.
