A federal judge in Miami has denied Tesla’s attempt to overturn a $243 million jury verdict related to a fatal 2019 crash involving the company’s Autopilot system, delivering a significant legal setback for the automaker.
The case stems from a collision in Key Largo, Florida, that killed 22-year-old Naibel Benavides and seriously injured her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, after a Tesla Model S struck them while operating under Enhanced Autopilot.
During trial proceedings, driver George McGee testified that he dropped his phone and assumed the partially automated system would brake if an obstacle appeared, believing the vehicle would respond appropriately without manual intervention.
Instead, the car accelerated through an intersection at just over 60 miles per hour, hitting an empty parked vehicle and then striking Benavides and Angulo as they stood on the opposite side of their own car.
Judge Says Evidence Supports Jury’s Findings
In an order issued Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Beth Bloom wrote that “evidence admitted at trial more than supports the jury verdict,” concluding there was no basis to disturb the decision or grant a new trial.
The jury had previously determined that Tesla bore partial responsibility for the crash, citing the role of Autopilot and the company’s representations regarding the system’s capabilities.
Brett Schreiber, lead trial counsel for the plaintiffs, said in a statement, “We are of course pleased, but also completely unsurprised that the honorable Judge Bloom upheld the jury’s verdict finding Tesla liable for the integral role Autopilot and the company’s misrepresentations of its capabilities played in the crash that killed Naibel and permanently injured Dillon.”
Attorneys for Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the judge’s ruling, which leaves the substantial financial penalty intact pending appeal efforts.
Broader Implications For Tesla’s Strategy
The legal development arrives as Tesla seeks to accelerate progress in the competitive robotaxi market, where rivals have already launched commercial driverless ride-hailing services in key regions.
Alphabet’s Waymo operates established services in parts of the United States, while Baidu’s Apollo Go has rolled out commercial offerings in China, placing Tesla behind in large-scale autonomous deployment.
Chief Executive Elon Musk has said Tesla will establish a “widespread” driverless robotaxi network in the United States by the end of 2026, although the company currently operates only a limited fleet in Austin, Texas.
In court filings, Tesla’s legal team had argued that compensatory damages should be reduced significantly and that punitive damages should be eliminated or capped under Florida law, but the judge rejected those arguments in full.