A judge has denied Tesla’s request to overturn a $243 million jury verdict that held Tesla partly responsible for a fatal crash involving its autonomous driving assistance system, Autopilot.
“The basis for relief relied upon by Tesla is substantially the same as the claims Tesla has asserted previously during trial and at the summary judgment conference, claims that have already been considered and dismissed,” Hong said. Judge Beth Bloom’s ruling reads: “Furthermore, Tesla has not presented any additional arguments or regulatory statutes that would persuade this court to change its prior judgment or jury verdict.”
Last August, a jury awarded Tesla $243 million for the 2019 fatal crash that killed Nyvel Benavidez and seriously injured Dillon Angulo in Florida. The jury assigned two-thirds of the blame to the driver and one-third to Tesla. Notably, the jury assessed punitive damages only against Tesla.
In a motion to reverse the judgment, Tesla’s lawyers argued that the driver who caused the accident was at fault.
