Tesla (TSLA) is found liable in fatal Autopilot crash, has to pay $329 million

Tesla has lost its Autopilot fatal crash wrongful death case in Florida as a jury says the automaker has to pay the victims $329 million.

This is a significant blow to Tesla – although it will likely be appealed.

We reported earlier today on the almost month-long trial’s conclusion and the plaintiffs’ request for $345 million in damages.

Now, the jury has returned its verdict and found Tesla partially liable for the crash, and awarded the plaintiffs $129 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages.

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It amounts to $329 million, slightly less than they requested. However, it’s still a significant blow to Tesla and a major win for those who suffered crashes related to Tesla’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Brett Schreiber of Singleton Schreiber, lead attorney for the plaintiffs in this case, commented on the results:

Tesla designed autopilot only for controlled access highways yet deliberately chose not to restrict drivers from using it elsewhere, alongside Elon Musk telling the world Autopilot drove better than humans. Tesla’s lies turned our roads into test tracks for their fundamentally flawed technology, putting everyday Americans like Naibel Benavides and Dillon Angulo in harm’s way. Today’s verdict represents justice for Naibel’s tragic death and Dillon’s lifelong injuries, holding Tesla and Musk accountable for propping up the company’s trillion-dollar valuation with self-driving hype at the expense of human lives.

The case is particularly impactful because it’s the first wrongful death case involving Tesla’s ADAS systems (Autopilot and Full Self-Driving) to reach trial.

The story is developing…