Tesla is facing another wrongful death lawsuit, this time from the family of a motorcyclist killed in a crash involving the company’s Autopilot system.
Over the past few years, Tesla has faced multiple lawsuits from individuals and families of those involved in accidents related to its advanced driver-assist (ADAS) features, marketed as Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.
Recently, Tesla settled a lawsuit brought by the family of a Model X owner who died after crashing into a median while using Autopilot. The driver was reportedly distracted by his phone at the time. Tesla consistently denied responsibility, arguing that drivers must remain attentive while using its systems. CEO Elon Musk previously stated that Tesla would “never settle an unjust case.” Despite this stance, the settlement was reached amid claims that Tesla’s Autopilot system was defective and that the company did not adequately address misuse of the system.
Now, Tesla is being sued by the family of another individual who died in a crash involving a Tesla vehicle on Autopilot. According to Reuters, the parents of Landon Embry, a 34-year-old motorcyclist killed in a 2022 crash involving a Tesla Model 3 in Utah, have filed a lawsuit against the electric carmaker and the vehicle’s driver. They claim that the driver-assist software and other safety features are “defective and inadequate.”
The accident occurred when the Model 3, reportedly traveling between 75 and 80 mph on Autopilot, collided with the rear of Embry’s Harley-Davidson motorcycle on a highway in Salt Lake City. The family’s lawyers argue that the driver was “tired and not in a condition to drive as an ordinarily prudent driver” and that Autopilot “should have identified the hazard posed by Decedent’s motorcycle in its presence.”
The complaint states, “A reasonably prudent driver, or adequate auto braking system, would have, and could have slowed or stopped without colliding with the motorcycle.”
This lawsuit emerges as another tragic incident involving a Tesla vehicle using ADAS features and a motorcyclist, highlighting ongoing concerns about the safety and reliability of Tesla’s driver-assist technologies.
