Tesla Settles Autopilot Death Case on Eve of Jury Selection [Los Angeles, CA]

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 10, 2024) — Tesla has reached a confidential settlement in a lawsuit involving the death of Apple engineer Walter Huang, who was killed when his Model X, operating under Autopilot, crashed into a barrier in 2018. 

This settlement marks Tesla’s first in Autopilot-related litigation, despite the company’s previous successes in defending such cases in court.

The Tesla autopilot death case was set to go to jury trial in the California Superior Court, but Tesla and the plaintiff’s family agreed to a settlement the day before jury selection was to begin. Tesla’s attorneys requested the settlement amount be sealed, arguing its disclosure could adversely affect the company in future lawsuits.

Previously, Tesla had won two Autopilot-related cases where juries found the company had sufficiently explained the system’s capabilities and was not at fault for the accidents involved. As Tesla navigates public scrutiny over its Autopilot feature, the decision to settle could reflect a strategy to avoid further negative attention.