Tesla loses bid to overturn $243M Autopilot verdict

A judge has denied Tesla’s request to overturn a $243 million jury verdict that held the automaker partially responsible for a fatal crash involving its Autopilot driver assistance 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,” Hon. Judge Beth Bloom’s decision reads. “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 awarded a $243 million verdict against Tesla over its culpability in a 2019 fatal crash in Florida that killed Naibel Benavides and critically injured Dillon Angulo. The jury assigned the driver two-thirds of the blame, and attributed one-third to Tesla. Notably, the jury assessed punitive damages only against Tesla.

Tesla’s lawyers argued, in its request to reverse the ruling, that the blame rested on the driver, who helped cause the crash.