Tesla passed up a $60 million settlement offer months before a jury hit it with a $242.5 million verdict over a deadly 2019 crash involving Autopilot.
The proposed settlement, revealed in a recent legal filing, came in May — well before the Miami federal court jury found Tesla partly responsible. Tesla’s Autopilot was engaged when a Model S crashed through an intersection and struck a Chevrolet Tahoe. Neima Benavides Leon died, and her boyfriend Dillon Angulo was seriously injured while standing outside their vehicle.
The driver, not a defendant here, was separately sued. The jury split blame: two-thirds on the driver, one-third on Tesla. The $242.5 million award reflects that split. 
Tesla plans to appeal, citing “substantial errors of law and irregularities at trial.”
Tesla spokesperson provided this to TechCrunch:
“Tesla plans to appeal the verdict given the substantial errors of law and irregularities at trial.”
Tesla’s outside PR firm declined to comment. The company disbanded its communications team years ago. The suit, case 1:21-cv-21940-BB, was filed in 2021 in the Southern District of Florida.
The legal fight keeps Tesla in the crosshairs over Autopilot safety as scrutiny intensifies.
