Tesla ordered to pay $243 million over fatal Autopilot crash in Florida
A jury in federal court in Miami found Tesla liable for a fatal 2019 crash in which a Tesla Model S with Autopilot engaged struck two people, killing one. Tesla had rejected a $60 million settlement offer before the jury awarded $243 million in damages, which Tesla plans to appeal.
What happened
In 2019, a Tesla Model S with Autopilot engaged struck a Chevrolet Tahoe at an intersection in Florida, hitting two people standing beside the vehicle on the shoulder. The crash killed 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and seriously injured her boyfriend Dillon Angulo.
In August 2025, a jury in federal court in Miami found Tesla partly to blame for the fatal crash. The jury assigned the driver two-thirds of the blame and attributed one-third to Tesla, awarding $129 million in compensatory damages (of which Tesla was found 33 percent liable, approximately $42.6 million) and $200 million in punitive damages for which Tesla was held fully responsible.
Tesla rejected a $60 million settlement proposal made in May 2025 and did not accept it within the required 30-day timeframe. The case then proceeded to trial, resulting in the $243 million verdict.
Reported impact
One person was killed and another severely injured in the crash. The verdict marks the first wrongful-death lawsuit involving a third-party victim of Autopilot to reach trial, with earlier cases either dismissed or quietly settled.
Index analysis
The case centres on Autopilot engaging but failing to brake in time to avoid the intersection. Critics argue that drivers often overestimate Autopilot's capabilities, treating it as full self-driving technology when it is a driver assistance system.
Governance controls
Tesla has denied wrongdoing and stated it plans to appeal the verdict given what it characterises as substantial errors of law and irregularities at trial. The ruling may influence how the self-driving industry describes and markets advanced driver assistance systems.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.