A Miami jury ordered Tesla to pay over $240 million in damages after a fatal crash involving its Autopilot driver assist technology. The accident occurred on a dark, rural road in Key Largo, Florida, in 2019, and resulted in the deaths of a young couple and injuries to their boyfriend.
The federal jury held that Tesla was partly responsible for the crash because its technology failed to prevent it. However, the company disputed this finding, claiming that the driver’s reckless behavior, including looking at his cellphone while driving, was the primary cause of the accident.
Tesla had previously faced criticism for allegedly hiding or losing key evidence in similar crashes, but this case saw the company admitting it had made a mistake in not having the crucial data. The plaintiffs hired a forensic data expert to uncover the evidence, which showed that Tesla had indeed possessed it all along.
The jury’s verdict includes $43 million in compensatory damages and a punitive award of $200 million, totaling $243 million. Tesla plans to appeal the decision, but financial analyst Dan Ives described the outcome as “not good for Tesla.”
The case sets an important precedent, as many similar cases against Tesla have been dismissed or settled out of court. The verdict could embolden others to take Tesla to court, and experts warn that it poses significant legal risks for the auto industry as companies develop increasingly autonomous vehicles.
Tesla’s decision to roll out a driverless taxi service in several cities in the coming months has raised concerns about trust in the company’s safety record. However, with its technology having improved significantly since the accident, the impact of this verdict on Tesla’s reputation remains to be seen.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/02/nx-s1-5490930/tesla-autopilot-crash-jury-240-million-florida