• Tesla must pay $243M verdict for 2019 Florida Autopilot crash, judge rejects appeal. • Jury found Tesla 33% liable, awarding $43M compensatory and $200M punitive damages. • Crash killed Naibel Benavides Leon; Tesla’s earlier $60M settlement offer was rejected. • Judge Beth Bloom ruled evidence supports verdict; no new arguments to overturn. • Tesla’s appeal cited Florida tort law, due process, and Musk statements; dismissed. • First major plaintiff victory in an Autopilot wrongful death case. • Tesla faces growing wave of lawsuits over driver‑assist technology.
Article Summaries:
- A federal judge in Miami rejected Tesla’s bid to overturn a $243 million jury verdict for a fatal 2019 Autopilot crash in Florida. U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ruled that the evidence “more than supported” the verdict and that Tesla offered no new arguments to justify setting it aside. The case stemmed from a collision that killed 22‑year‑old Naibel Benavides Leon when a Tesla Model S on Autopilot struck a parked vehicle. The jury awarded $43 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages, marking the first major plaintiff victory against Tesla in an Autopilot‑related wrongful‑death case. Tesla plans to appeal, citing a pre‑trial agreement that could cap punitive damages, but the $243 million judgment remains in effect.
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