Tesla's Autopilot Put to the Test in High-Stakes Jury Trial

Tesla is set to face its first jury trial over a fatal crash involving its Autopilot driver-assist system. The trial in Miami federal court set to begin on Monday centers on a 2019 incident in South Florida in which a Tesla Model S, with its Autopilot engaged, crashed into a parked SUV after the driver, George Brian McGee, dropped his cellphone and looked away from the road, per the New York Times.

• Victims: The collision killed Naibel Benavides Leon, a 22-year-old college student, and left her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, severely injured, with a broken jaw, spine fractures, and brain bleed, per Scripps News.

• Precedence: The case stands out from previous lawsuits in which Autopilot-related crashes have either been settled or dismissed before reaching a jury, allowing Tesla to skirt judgments about the system's safety, per the Times. This time, jurors will weigh whether Tesla's technology shares blame for the crash.
• Tesla's take: The automaker argues McGee alone was responsible, pointing to data showing he was speeding and pressing the accelerator, which overrides parts of Autopilot. "This was caused by a distracted driver," the company states.
• Plaintiffs' take: Angulo and the family of Benavides Leon claim Autopilot should have prevented the crash by alerting the driver or activating emergency braking, as the system detected the obstacles ahead, and contend that Tesla and CEO Elon Musk exaggerated Autopilot's capabilities, misleading drivers about its limitations. The victims' families also say that a recall two years ago of Tesla's Autopilot is proof that the software was "inadequate," per WSVN.
• Proceedings: The trial will feature expert testimony and internal Tesla video and data, evidence not previously available in similar cases. Judge Beth Bloom has allowed the family to seek punitive damages and noted a jury could find Tesla acted recklessly in pursuit of product development.