Tesla turned down a $60 million settlement offer in a lawsuit over a 2019 fatal crash involving its Autopilot system before a jury this month handed down a $243 million verdict, according to a court filing.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs disclosed the settlement proposal on Monday in federal court in Miami as part of their request for legal fees, arguing Florida law entitles them to recover costs accrued since May 30, when the offer was made.
The case centered on an April 2019 accident in which a Tesla Model S using Autopilot struck a parked Chevrolet Tahoe on a highway shoulder, killing Naibel Benavides Leon and seriously injuring her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo.
Jurors awarded the victims’ estate and Angulo a total of $129 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages. They found Tesla liable for 33% of compensatory damages, or about $42.6 million, and all punitive damages. The driver of the Tesla was deemed responsible for the remaining 67% but was not a defendant in the case.
Tesla has denied wrongdoing and vowed to appeal. The company said the verdict “only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla’s and the entire industry’s efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology.”
Attorneys for the plaintiffs said the case was the first trial involving the wrongful death of a third party tied to Autopilot. While Tesla has faced other lawsuits over its driver-assistance features, those disputes had either been dismissed or settled before reaching trial.
Source: Reuters
