Tesla appeared in federal court Monday to defend itself against a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a fatal crash involving its Autopilot system.
The case centers around the 2019 death of 22-year-old college student Naibel Benavides Leon, who was killed when a Tesla Model S operating in Autopilot mode struck a parked truck in Florida.
The lawsuit, originally filed in April 2021, alleges that Tesla’s driver-assistance system failed to detect stationary obstacles and contributed to the crash.
Leon and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, were standing next to the parked vehicle when they were struck. Angulo survived but suffered serious injuries.
Attorneys for the victims’ families are seeking punitive damages and compensation for medical and other expenses. They argue that Tesla’s Autopilot technology was defective and incapable of safely identifying obstacles.
Tesla disputes the claims, asserting that the vehicle’s driver was distracted after dropping his phone and failed to maintain attention to the road, which the company says was the true cause of the crash.
The trial continues in Miami federal court, with no verdict yet announced.
