Tesla Autopilot verdict overview:
- Who: Tesla Autopilot was not at fault for causing an accident that killed a California man and seriously injured two passengers, Law360 reported that a jury determined.
- Why: There was no manufacturing defect in the autopilot system, the jury determined according to the website.
- Where: The Tesla verdict came in Riverside County Superior Court in California.
Tesla Autopilot was not at fault for causing an accident that killed a California man and seriously injured two passengers because there was no proven manufacturing defect in the autopilot system, Law360 reported that a jury determined.
Driver Micah Lee died and passengers Lindsay Molander and her son, 8-year-old Parker Austin, were seriously injured in a crash in June 2019 when their Tesla Model 3 veered off Interstate 215 into a palm tree.
“Though we express disappointment in the verdict, it’s undeniable that a national lens is now focused on this pressing maker,” Jonathan Michaels, principal at MLG, said in a statement to Law360. “Tesla, despite its stature, was pushed to its limits during the trial. The jury’s prolonged deliberation suggests that the verdict still casts a shadow of uncertainty.”
Jurors found that Tesla did not manufacturer crashed vehicle with malice, oppression or fraud
Judge Christopher B. Harmon presided over the case, where jurors were asked to determine if a manufacturing defect caused the crash, if the company was responsible for pain and suffering for the two injured passengers and if there was “clear and convincing evidence that Tesla manufactured the autopilot system on Micah Lee’ s 2019 Tesla Model 3 with malice, oppression, or fraud.”
The jury found that Tesla was not responsible for the crash or damages.
“There was no evidence of a defect in our Autopilot technology,” a Tesla spokesperson told Law360. “Tesla’s cars are well designed and making the roads safer every day.”
A California federal judge ruled last month that a group of Tesla vehicle owners accusing the automaker of misleading consumers about the capabilities of its autopilot feature will have to arbitrate their claims individually.
Have you ever driven a Tesla and used the autopilot feature? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs were represented by Jonathan A. Michaels, Carol Baidas and Jessica Sauber of MLG Attorneys at Law APLC.
The defendant was represented by James M. Golden, Dmitriy Kopelevich, Rochelle Smith, Michael R. Carey, Daniela Gonzales and Clay Cosse of Dykema Gossett LLP.
The Tesla Autopilot verdict was in the case of Molander, et al., v. Tesla Inc., Case No. RIC2002469, in the Superior Court in the state of California, Riverside County.
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One thought on Jury finds Tesla, Autopilot not responsible in deadly crash
I was sold a brand new Tesla with old and damaged parts by passenger foot rest