Tesla Loses $243 Million Verdict Over Fatal Autopilot Crash and Missing Data
A jury found Tesla 33% liable in a 2019 fatal crash in Florida where Autopilot failed to brake despite detecting pedestrians, and a federal judge upheld the $243 million verdict in 2026. Tesla had initially claimed Autopilot data was unrecoverable, but the victims' lawyers retrieved it, proving the system detected the hazard seconds before impact but continued accelerating.
What happened
On April 25, 2019, in Key Largo, Florida, a vehicle driven by George McGee traveling at 60 mph on Autopilot struck two pedestrians, Dillon Angulo and Naibel Benavides Leon, at a T-junction. The vehicle's Autopilot system detected the pedestrians seconds before impact but failed to trigger emergency braking.
Tesla initially claimed that Autopilot data from the vehicle was unrecoverable. However, the victims' legal team recovered the data with the help of a specialist, proving the system had identified the hazard but continued to accelerate.
Reported impact
Naibel Benavides Leon, 22 years old, was killed in the crash. Dillon Angulo sustained catastrophic injuries.
Index analysis
In August 2025, a jury found Tesla 33% liable for the crash, ruling that the Autopilot technology was defectively designed and marketed in a way that misled users about its true capabilities. In July 2026, US District Judge Beth Bloom upheld the $243 million verdict, rejecting Tesla's appeal.
Governance controls
The court's decision noted that while the driver admitted to being distracted by his phone, Tesla's technology failed to perform its safety function despite detecting the hazard, raising questions about how the system is marketed as making driving safer while still requiring constant supervision.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.