US EditionTesla’s Autopilot System Is in the Spotlight at a Miami Trial over a Student Killed While Stargazing
FLORIDA, JUL 14 – Plaintiffs argue Tesla's Autopilot failed to warn or brake, causing a 2019 crash that killed Naibel Benavides and injured Dillon Angulo, amid 2.3 million vehicle recalls in 2023.
- Jury selection began on July 14, 2025, in a Miami federal court for a civil trial over a fatal April 2019 Tesla Model S crash near Key West, Florida.
- The lawsuit alleges the Tesla was in Autopilot mode and failed to detect a parked Chevrolet Tahoe, which led to a collision that killed Naibel Benavides Leon and injured her boyfriend Dillon Angulo.
- Plaintiffs argue Tesla deceptively marketed Autopilot as more capable than it was and that the system acted recklessly to maximize profit, while Tesla denies these claims and blames driver distraction.
- Judge Beth Bloom permitted the family to pursue punitive damages, noting that a jury might determine Tesla showed a reckless lack of concern for human safety in its efforts to advance its product and increase profits.
- The trial is rare for Tesla and could significantly impact its planned rollout of robotaxis and public confidence in its self-driving technology if the jury finds the company liable.
120 Articles
120 Articles
In Court for Fatal Crash, Tesla Admits It Wasn't Even Tracking Autopilot Crashes for the First Three Years of the Program
With so many massive and well-publicized safety issues, nothing should surprise us about Tesla's internal culture — but new revelations from the country's first federal Autopilot crash trial have us shaken once again. As Law360 reports, an engineer at Elon Musk's car company revealed during a wrongful death trial this week that until 2018, the company didn't even keep records of Autopilot crashes — even though the assisted driving feature had be…
Tesla Autopilot Crash Trial — Highlights from Opening Days - CleanTechnica
As we’ve reported, a trial has begun in Florida related to a crash that happened here a handful of years ago while the Tesla was on Autopilot. The driver of the car did not die in the crash, but a bystander was. “Attorneys for the estate of Benavides Leon contend ... [continued] The post Tesla Autopilot Crash Trial — Highlights from Opening Days appeared first on CleanTechnica.
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