Tesla was partially held responsible in a lawsuit involving a fatal accident caused by the autopilot system of its cars.
The lawsuit, which took place in Florida, addressed the company’s liability in the 2019 accident that caused the death of Naibel Benavides Leon and left her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, seriously injured.
According to documents obtained by People magazine, at the time, driver George McGee was driving a Tesla Model S in Key Largo, Florida, while using the vehicle’s autopilot system.
However, when he reached an intersection, McGee bent down to pick up his cellphone, which had fallen. It was then that the car crashed head-on into the Chevrolet Tahoe in which Leon and Angulo were riding.
The lawsuit claimed that the Tesla failed to detect the parked car and that its autopilot system was still in Beta mode, meaning it had not been fully tested and was not suitable for use on roads with cross traffic or intersections.
In its defense, Tesla argued that its autopilot system was not designed to make the car 100% autonomous and should only be used under constant supervision by a driver. Therefore, McGee should be held responsible for diverting his attention from the road.
However, the jurors found that Tesla should also be held liable, stating that the company was 33% at fault for the fatal accident. The remainder was assigned to McGee, who, according to People, reached a settlement with Leon’s family for an undisclosed amount.
Photo and video: Unsplash. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
