Tesla judged guilty for autopilot accident in which a woman died

A federal judge has denied Tesla's request to overturn a $243 million jury verdict in a 2019 fatal accident in which a Model S with Autopilot activated crashed into a parked SUV in Florida. A 22-year-old woman was killed in the accident and her boyfriend suffered serious injuries.

Miami District Judge Beth Bloom noted that the evidence "more than supported" the jury's decision last August and that Tesla had not presented new arguments for its reversal. The company is expected to appeal.

The accident occurred on April 25, 2019, in Key Largo when driver George McGee crossed an intersection at approximately 100 kilometers per hour while bending over to pick up a dropped phone. The jury found Tesla one-third responsible. It awarded $19.5 million to the bereaved, $23.1 million to the injured, and $200 million in punitive damages.

Tesla claimed that the driver was solely at fault and that the vehicle was not defective. The case was the first federal jury verdict in the US involving a fatal accident with autopilot.

(reuters, max)