
Tesla found partially liable in Autopilot crash; jury awards $200M in damages
In a major legal blow to Tesla, a Florida jury has ordered the automaker to pay $200 million in damages, finding it partly liable for a fatal 2019 crash involving its Autopilot system. This marks one of the first large verdicts against Tesla related to its driver-assistance technology. The jury determined that both Tesla and the driver bore responsibility. Elon Musk and Tesla have long promoted Autopilot’s capabilities, drawing scrutiny from regulators and safety advocates.
The ruling signals increasing legal and regulatory pressure on autonomous driving claims—and could alter how advanced driver-assistance systems are evaluated in court.