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A shocking lawsuit over Tesla's Autopilot system: The Benavides and Angulo families held Tesla responsible for a deadly 2019 crash, and the jury ordered the company to pay $242 million in damages. This case once again highlights the risks of autonomous driving technologies.

In April 2019, in the Florida Keys, George Brian McGee was driving his 2019 Tesla Model S at 100 km/h with Autopilot engaged. He dropped his phone and leaned down to pick it up, losing focus. Autopilot failed to detect stop signs, red lights, and the intersection ahead, and gave no warnings. The car veered off the road and crashed into a parked Chevrolet Tahoe.

In the crash, 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon, who was standing next to the vehicle, was thrown 23 meters and killed. Her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, was severely injured, suffering lifelong physical and emotional trauma. The driver, McGee, admitted his negligence and was found 67% at fault by the jury. However, 33% of the blame was assigned to Tesla.

The case focused on this 33% liability, alleging that Tesla had designed and marketed its Autopilot system defectively. The system was intended for highways but could also be activated on local roads. The plaintiffs argued that Tesla had been aware of the risks of driver inattention for years but failed to take sufficient precautions. Internal documents revealed misleading statements from Elon Musk, such as “Autopilot is better than humans.”

Tesla argued in its defense that no vehicle could have avoided the crash in 2019, placing all the blame on the driver. The company described its system as a “driver assistance” technology, emphasizing it was not fully autonomous. The three-week trial in Miami federal court resulted in Tesla being held liable for a third-party death for the first time by a jury.

The verdict: Tesla was found 33% responsible. The jury awarded $129 million in damages (Tesla’s share being $42.6 million) plus $200 million in punitive damages, totaling $242.6 million against Tesla. The company announced it would appeal the decision, and its shares dropped 1.8%. This could open the door to dozens of similar lawsuits and affect projects like robotaxis.

After the verdict, Tesla offered the families a “large sum of money” to settle the matter, but with one condition: “The settlement and case details must remain confidential.”

The families refused, stating, “This case is bigger than us,” choosing transparency over money. Their goal was to prevent future accidents and expose Tesla’s practices.

As a result, all case documents — including internal records on Autopilot misuse — will soon be made public in Miami court. Furthermore, sanctions are expected against Tesla for allegedly withholding evidence for four years. Full details will be revealed within three weeks. This marks a turning point for autonomous vehicle safety.

Electrek editor Frederic Lambert noted that the families faced harsh criticism from Tesla fans for rejecting the settlement, but emphasized that the verdict holds major lessons for the automotive industry.