US Judge Upholds $243M Verdict against Tesla in Fatal Autopilot Crash Case

A federal judge has rejected Tesla’s request to overturn a $243 million jury verdict over the 2019 crash of an Autopilot-equipped Model S that killed a 22-year-old woman and severely injured her boyfriend.

 

In a decision made public on Friday, US District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami said the evidence at trial “more than supports” the August 2025 verdict, and that Tesla had raised no new arguments to justify setting it aside.

 

Tesla, led by Elon Musk, is expected to appeal. Neither the company nor its lawyers immediately responded to requests for comment.

 

The case arose from an incident on April 25, 2019, in Key Largo, Florida, when George McGee drove his 2019 Model S through an intersection at about 62mph (100kph) while bending to look for his phone, which he had dropped.

 

McGee crashed into Naibel Benavides Leon and Dillon Angulo’s SUV, which was parked on the shoulder beside where they were standing. Benavides was killed.

 

Jurors found Tesla 33 per cent responsible for the crash. They awarded compensatory damages of $19.5 million to Benavides’ estate and $23.1 million to Angulo, plus $200 million in punitive damages to be split between them. McGee had previously settled with the plaintiffs.

 

In seeking a reversal, Tesla argued that McGee alone was to blame, that his Model S was not defective, and that the verdict defied common sense.

 

The company said automakers “do not insure the world against harms caused by reckless drivers”, and argued punitive damages should be zero because it did not exhibit “reckless disregard for human life” under Florida law.

 

Adam Boumel, a lawyer for Benavides’ estate and Angulo, said his clients were pleased with the decision.

 

“From day one, Tesla has refused to accept responsibility,” Boumel said in an email. “Autopilot was defective, and Tesla put it on American roads before it was ready and before it was safe.”

 

Tesla has faced numerous lawsuits over its vehicles’ self-driving capabilities, but many had previously been resolved or dismissed without going to trial.

 

Musk, the world’s richest person, has long promoted Tesla as a leader in autonomous driving for private vehicles and robotaxis.

 

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