Tesla Appeals Fatal Autopilot Case: Model S Has No Design Defect, $1.7 Billion Compensation Is Excessive

The "Safe Driving" sign set up by accident victim Angulo

Phoenix Technology News, East 8th District, August 30, according to CNBC, Tesla has filed a motion to appeal, challenging the verdict in a product liability and wrongful death lawsuit. If the verdict stands, Tesla will be required to pay $242.5 million (approximately 1.7 billions RMB) in compensation.

Tesla has requested the Southern District Court of Florida to overturn the verdict or grant a retrial. Gibson Dunn, the law firm representing Tesla, argued that the compensatory damages should be significantly reduced from $129 million to a maximum of $69 million. If the previous ruling that Tesla was partially responsible for the accident is upheld, the company would only need to pay $23 million in compensatory damages.

The law firm also argued that, since Florida law sets a cap on damages, punitive damages should be eliminated or at most adjusted to three times the compensatory damages.

The case involves a fatal car accident that occurred in Key Largo, Florida, in 2019. At the time, owner George McGee was driving his Tesla Model S sedan with Tesla's Enhanced Autopilot system enabled, when he crashed into a Chevrolet Tahoe parked on the shoulder, resulting in the death of 22-year-old Naibel Benavides and serious injury to her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo.

At the time of the accident, McGee dropped his phone while driving and hurriedly tried to pick it up. He stated in court that he believed the Enhanced Autopilot system would automatically brake if it detected an obstacle ahead. Earlier this month, a jury in federal court in Miami found Tesla partially liable and ordered compensation to the victim's family and the injured party. The total compensation in this case is $329 million, of which Tesla is required to pay $242.5 million.

Tesla's lawyers argued in the appeal motion that there was no design defect in the Model S vehicle, and even if there was a so-called design defect, the accident could not be attributed to the vehicle. They stated that the accident was entirely caused by the driver's own actions.

"As long as the driver still has control of the steering wheel, any safety feature may, while improving the safety of countless people, also encourage dangerous behavior by a minority of reckless drivers," Tesla's lawyers stated in the appeal motion. "Holding Tesla responsible for providing advanced safety features simply because a few reckless drivers ignore system warnings is contrary to the spirit of Florida law."

The lead trial attorney for the plaintiffs, Brett Schreiber, said in a statement that he believes the court will uphold the previous verdict. He argued that this should not be seen as an indictment of the autonomous vehicle industry, but rather as an accusation against Tesla for the reckless and unsafe deployment of its Autopilot system.

Schreiber said: "The jury heard all the facts and reached the correct conclusion: this is a case of shared responsibility, but that does not negate the important role that the Autopilot system and Tesla's misleading statements about its capabilities played in the accident."

As of press time, Tesla has not commented on the matter. (Author/Xiao Yu)