- Verdict could lead to more lawsuits, experts say
- One died, one injured in Model S crash in 2019
- Tesla to appeal, blames driver
- Tesla shares down 1.8% on Friday, 25% this year
A Florida jury on Friday found Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab liable to pay $243 million to victims of a 2019 fatal crash of an Autopilot-equipped Model S, a verdict that could encourage more legal action against Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company.
The verdict is a rare win for victims of accidents involving Autopilot. Musk has been pushing to rapidly expand Tesla’s recently launched robotaxi business based on an advanced version of its driver assistance software.
Tesla shares fell 1.8% on Friday, and are down 25% this year.
Jurors in Miami federal court awarded the estate of Naibel Benavides Leon, as well as her former boyfriend Dillon Angulo, $129 million in compensatory damages plus $200 million in punitive damages, according to a verdict sheet.
Tesla was held liable for 33% of the compensatory damages, or $42.6 million.
Jurors found the driver George McGee liable for 67%, but he was not a defendant and will not have to pay his share.
“Tesla designed Autopilot only for controlled-access highways yet deliberately chose not to restrict drivers from using it elsewhere, alongside Elon Musk telling the world Autopilot drove better than humans,” Brett Schreiber, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a statement.