Tesla Fined $243 Million Over Fatal Autopilot Crash in Florida
A jury in Florida found Tesla liable and ordered the company to pay $243 million total—$43 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages—after a 2019 crash involving the Tesla Autopilot killed one person and injured another. Tesla announced it would appeal the verdict, claiming the judgment would harm the development of autonomous vehicle safety technology.
What happened
In April 2019, a Tesla Model S traveling at approximately 100 kilometers per hour ran a red light and stop sign at an intersection in Florida, colliding with a parked Chevrolet whose two occupants were standing beside the vehicle on the roadside.
The driver stated he had reached down to pick up a phone that had fallen onto the floor of his vehicle and was not alerted as he passed the traffic signals. A 22-year-old passenger in the parked vehicle was killed and her companion was severely injured.
Tesla's autopilot feature was developed for specific use cases such as highways, but the company did not prevent drivers from using it in other locations, according to the plaintiffs' attorney.
Reported impact
One person died and another was severely injured in the collision.
Index analysis
A jury found Tesla liable for the accident and determined the company was responsible for 33 percent of the damages, with the driver found 67 percent liable.
The jury awarded the victim's family and the injured person a total of $129 million in compensatory damages, of which Tesla must pay one-third ($43 million), plus an additional $200 million in punitive damages.
Governance controls
Tesla stated that the verdict was wrong and claimed it would set back safety in the automotive industry and endanger efforts by Tesla and the broader industry to develop and deploy life-saving technologies. The company announced it would appeal the judgment.
The plaintiffs' lawyers stated this was the first case involving the wrongful death of a third party resulting from the autopilot feature.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.