A judge has rejected Tesla’s motion to overturn a $243 million jury verdict, finding the automaker partially liable for a fatal accident involving its Autopilot system.
“The grounds for relief that Tesla relies upon are virtually the same as those Tesla put forth previously during the course of trial and in their briefings on summary judgment — arguments that were already considered and rejected,” stated Judge Beth Bloom in her decision. “Furthermore, Tesla does not present additional arguments or controlling law that persuades this Court to alter its earlier decisions or the jury verdict.”
Last August, a jury rendered a $243 million verdict against Tesla for its role in a 2019 fatal crash in Florida that claimed the life of Naibel Benavides and critically injured Dillon Angulo. The jury assigned two-thirds of the blame to the driver and one-third to Tesla. Significantly, punitive damages were assessed solely against Tesla.
Tesla’s legal team contended in its bid to reverse the verdict that the driver bore responsibility for the crash.