Close Menu
Nabka News
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • China
  • India
  • Pakistan
  • Political
  • Tech
  • Trend
  • USA
  • Sports

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

What's Hot

Texas researcher faces deportation after being held for a week at San Francisco airport

August 1, 2025

Trump weak for firing BLS chief McEntarfer over jobs report: Wyden

August 1, 2025

Pakistan Army, PLA are true brothers in arms: FM Munir

August 1, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
  • Home
  • About NabkaNews
  • Advertise with NabkaNews
  • DMCA Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact us
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
Nabka News
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • China
  • India
  • Pakistan
  • Political
  • Tech
  • Trend
  • USA
  • Sports
Nabka News
Home » Tesla Autopilot plaintiffs seek $345 million over fatal Florida crash
Tech

Tesla Autopilot plaintiffs seek $345 million over fatal Florida crash

i2wtcBy i2wtcAugust 1, 2025No Comments4 Mins Read
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp Copy Link
Follow Us
Google News Flipboard Threads
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email Copy Link


A Tesla vehicle passes the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse as jury selection began in connection with allegations regarding the safety of Tesla’s autopilot system on July 14, 2025 in Miami, Florida.

Joe Raedle | Getty Images

Tesla is facing a crucial verdict in a personal injury trial over a fatal Autopilot crash in 2019, the first time Elon Musk’s automaker has been in front of a jury on such a matter in federal court.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs on Thursday asked the jury to award damages of around $345 million. That includes $109 million in compensatory damages and $236 million in punitive damages. The trial in the Southern District of Florida started on July 14.

The suit centers around who shoulders the blame for a deadly crash that occurred in 2019 in Key Largo, Florida. A Tesla owner named George McGee was driving his Model S electric sedan while using the company’s Enhanced Autopilot, a partially automated driving system.

While driving, McGee dropped his mobile phone that he was using and scrambled to pick it up. He said during the trial that he believed Enhanced Autopilot would brake if an obstacle was in the way. He accelerated through an intersection at just over 60 miles per hour, hitting a nearby empty parked car and its owners, who were standing on the other side of their vehicle.

Naibel Benavides, who was 22, died on the scene from injuries sustained in the crash. Her body was discovered about 75 feet away from the point of impact. Her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, survived but suffered multiple broken bones, a traumatic brain injury and psychological effects.

The plaintiffs have included Benavides’ surviving family members, and Angulo, who testified in the trial. Angulo is seeking compensation for his medical expenses and pain and suffering, while Benavides’ estate is suing for wrongful death, pain and suffering, and other punitive damages.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs argued that Tesla’s partially automated driving systems, marketed as Autopilot at the time, had dangerous defects, which should have been known and fixed by the company, and that use of Autopilot should have been limited to roads where it could perform safely.

They also argued that Musk and Tesla made false statements to customers, shareholders and the public, overstating the safety benefits and capabilities of Autopilot, which encouraged drivers to overly rely on it.

In opening arguments and throughout the trial, the plaintiffs’ attorneys and expert witnesses cited a litany of Musk’s past promises about Autopilot and Tesla’s autonomous vehicle technology. The lawyers said

Tesla attorneys countered in court that the company had communicated directly with customers about how to use Autopilot and other features, and that McGee’s driving was to blame for the collision. They said in closing arguments that Tesla works to develop technology to save drivers’ lives, and that a ruling against the EV maker would send the wrong message.

The Benavides family had previously sued McGee and settled with him. McGee was charged in October 2019 with careless driving and didn’t contest the charges.

While Tesla has typically been able to settle cases or move Autopilot-related suits into arbitration and out of the public eye, Judge Beth Bloom in the Miami court wrote, in an order in early July, that the case could move ahead to trial.

“A reasonable jury could find that Tesla acted in reckless disregard of human life for the sake of developing their product and maximizing profit,” she wrote in that order.

For closing arguments on Thursday, the Benavides family and Angulo were in the courtroom. They looked away from screens anytime a video or picture of the scene of the crash was displayed.

— NBC News’ Maria Piñero reported from Miami.

WATCH: Calling Tesla a car company is overrated

Calling Tesla a car company is overrated, says Fitz-Gerald Group's Keith Fitz-Gerald



Source link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp Copy Link
i2wtc
  • Website

Related Posts

Tech

Google drops more than 50 DEI-related groups from a funding list

August 1, 2025
Tech

Crypto wobbles into August as Trump’s new tariffs trigger risk-off sentiment

August 1, 2025
Tech

Tesla must pay $329 million in damages in fatal Autopilot case

August 1, 2025
Tech

Figma stock pops in second day of trading after colossal debut

August 1, 2025
Tech

Nintendo hiking price of original Switch for U.S. customers

August 1, 2025
Tech

Joby, L3Harris partner on hybrid defense craft

August 1, 2025
Add A Comment
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Top Posts

Texas researcher faces deportation after being held for a week at San Francisco airport

August 1, 2025

House Republicans unveil aid bill for Israel, Ukraine ahead of weekend House vote

April 17, 2024

Prime Minister Johnson presses forward with Ukraine aid bill despite pressure from hardliners

April 17, 2024

Justin Verlander makes season debut against Nationals

April 17, 2024
Don't Miss

Trump says China’s Xi ‘hard to make a deal with’ amid trade dispute | Donald Trump News

By i2wtcJune 4, 20250

Growing strains in US-China relations over implementation of agreement to roll back tariffs and trade…

Donald Trump’s 50% steel and aluminium tariffs take effect | Business and Economy News

June 4, 2025

The Take: Why is Trump cracking down on Chinese students? | Education News

June 4, 2025

Chinese couple charged with smuggling toxic fungus into US | Science and Technology News

June 4, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

About Us
About Us

Welcome to NabkaNews, your go-to source for the latest updates and insights on technology, business, and news from around the world, with a focus on the USA, Pakistan, and India.

At NabkaNews, we understand the importance of staying informed in today’s fast-paced world. Our mission is to provide you with accurate, relevant, and engaging content that keeps you up-to-date with the latest developments in technology, business trends, and news events.

Facebook X (Twitter) Pinterest YouTube WhatsApp
Our Picks

Texas researcher faces deportation after being held for a week at San Francisco airport

August 1, 2025

Trump weak for firing BLS chief McEntarfer over jobs report: Wyden

August 1, 2025

Pakistan Army, PLA are true brothers in arms: FM Munir

August 1, 2025
Most Popular

119 Chinese evacuated from Israel to Egypt-Xinhua

June 20, 2025

2025 Summer Davos forum kicks off in north China’s Tianjin -Xinhua

June 25, 2025

Flag-raising ceremony, reception held to mark 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to motherland-Xinhua

July 1, 2025
© 2025 nabkanews. Designed by nabkanews.
  • Home
  • About NabkaNews
  • Advertise with NabkaNews
  • DMCA Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact us

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.