Tesla Faces Trial Over Fatal Autopilot Crash in Florida
A federal judge denied Tesla's motion to dismiss a lawsuit over a 2019 fatal crash in Key Largo, Florida, where an Autopilot-equipped Model S ran through a stop sign and traffic light, striking a parked vehicle and killing a woman. The judge found sufficient evidence of design defects and failure to warn to proceed to trial on July 14.
What happened
On April 25, 2019, driver George McGee was operating a Tesla Model S with Autopilot engaged in Key Largo, Florida, at approximately 62 mph. McGee dropped his phone, reached down to pick it up, and did not notice that Autopilot had not prevented him from running a stop sign and traffic light before striking a parked Chevrolet Tahoe where Naibel Benavides Leon and Dillon Angulo were standing.
Benavides Leon was thrown 75 feet and killed, while Angulo sustained serious injuries.
Reported impact
One person was killed and another sustained serious injuries in the collision.
Index analysis
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ruled in a 98-page decision that the plaintiffs offered sufficient evidence that Autopilot defects were a 'substantial factor' in the injuries. The judge noted that McGee's expectation that Autopilot would prevent the crash raised valid questions about the technology's reliability, and that while McGee admitted to unsafe driving, this did not automatically make him solely responsible.
The judge found that Tesla's warnings about Autopilot might not be clear enough, particularly when accessed through the Model S's touchscreen manual. The court dismissed claims of manufacturing defect and negligent misrepresentation but found sufficient evidence to proceed on design defect and failure to warn claims.
Governance controls
Tesla has long maintained that Autopilot requires fully attentive drivers and does not make its cars autonomous.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.