Family sues Tesla over Autopilot in fatal motorcycle crash
Tesla faces a wrongful death lawsuit after a motorcyclist was struck and killed by a Model S operating on Autopilot in Washington in April 2024. The family alleges Tesla overstated Autopilot's capabilities, including its ability to detect motorcycles, and that the driver's override of emergency braking contributed to the fatal crash.
What happened
On April 19, 2024, a 28-year-old motorcyclist, Jeffrey Nissen Jr., was struck by a 2022 Tesla Model S on State Route 522 in Snohomish County, Washington. The Tesla driver, Carl Hunter, had enabled Autopilot approximately two minutes before the crash and was looking at his phone with his hands off the steering wheel.
Tesla's data showed the vehicle detected a possible collision and engaged automatic emergency braking, but the driver overrode the braking by pressing the accelerator pedal. The Tesla continued moving forward and pinned Nissen under the car, resulting in his death.
Reported impact
A 28-year-old motorcyclist was killed in the collision. The family of Jeffrey Nissen Jr. filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla in January 2026, seeking monetary damages and demanding the company stop marketing Autopilot and self-driving features until safety is proven.
Index analysis
The lawsuit alleges that Tesla has long known that Autopilot struggles to identify motorcycles and other small vehicles but overstated the system's capabilities and understated its limitations. Lawyers claimed there was evidence that the driver disabled or ignored collision alerts before the crash.
Governance controls
Tesla's website describes Autopilot as designed for use by a fully attentive driver and notes it does not turn the vehicle into a fully autonomous vehicle. Prior to activating Autopilot, drivers must agree to keep their hands on the steering wheel and maintain control and responsibility of the vehicle.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.