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 judge stated that Tesla’s arguments for relief were virtually the same as those presented during the trial and in earlier briefings, arguments that had already been considered and rejected. The decision further noted that Tesla did not present new arguments or controlling law that would persuade the court to alter its earlier decisions or the jury’s verdict.
Last August, a jury awarded the $243 million verdict against Tesla over its culpability in a 2019 fatal crash in Florida. The crash killed Naibel Benavides and critically injured Dillon Angulo. The jury assigned two-thirds of the blame to the driver and one-third to Tesla. Notably, the jury assessed punitive damages only against Tesla.
In its request to reverse the ruling, Tesla’s lawyers argued that the blame rested solely on the driver, who they stated helped cause the crash.