Elon Musk's Robotaxi Bet Meets Legal Challenge After Fatal Autopilot Crash

MIAMI — Elon Musk's electric car manufacturer, Tesla, will appear before a federal jury this Monday, defending claims that its driving assist system contributed to a deadly accident in 2019, where an unaware driver crashed through an intersection, sending a pair of star-gazers airborne.

A 20-year-old woman named Naibel Benavides Leon died in a collision that occurred in Key Largo, Florida, while her partner, Dillon Angulo, suffered serious injuries. In 2024, the families of Benavides Leon and Angulo jointly initiated a federal legal action against Tesla, claiming that the company's Autopilot feature did not function properly by failing to alert the driver, George McGee, that the road was coming to an end when he glanced away to pick up his fallen phone.

Tesla's Autopilot feature can handle steering, braking, and warn drivers about approaching hazards, yet it is intended to remain under constant driver oversight. The combined legal action further claims that Tesla was negligent in permitting Automatic pilot operating on roads it was not intended for .

Tesla rejects blame for the accident, stating that the feature's terms and conditions indicate the driver remains fully responsible once the feature is enabled.

This incident has no connection to Tesla's Autopilot system," Tesla stated in an emailed response. "Rather, similar to numerous tragic accidents that have occurred since the introduction of mobile phones, this one resulted from a driver who wasn't paying attention.

The court case, scheduled to start on Monday, occurs during an important period for Musk's electric vehicle company, the sales and earnings that dropped significantly After he entered the realm of national politics with controversy. The billionaire's involvement in President Donald Trump's government generated global protests against Tesla , and pressure on its board to redirect Musk's focus towards his troubled business.

The complete autonomous driving system from Tesla is central to Musk's strategy for reviving the car manufacturer. The company began testing an improved version of this technology last month. driverless technology operating with paying customers in Austin with intentions to grow in the coming few months even though there are limited federal rules and protective measures.

The trial set to start on Monday revolves around whether Tesla is responsible when its Autopilot system in regular cars is linked to an accident. A win or loss in court could greatly affect the automaker, as it deals with multiple other cases as well. legal cases across the nation involving its driving assist system .

A positive decision in favor of Tesla could represent a significant victory for the company, which has faced challenges over the years. struggled to free itself from accountability endeavored to exonerate itself made efforts to escape blame sought to clear its name tried to justify its actions worked to remove guilt attempted to defend against accusations labored to avoid culpability pushed to be cleared of fault strived to shed responsibility When one of its vehicles using Autopilot is part of an accident. The company has secured at least two jury verdicts related to Autopilot in recent years, and settled At minimum, another one prior to the start of the trial.

A conviction might expose Tesla to greater responsibility for its current vehicles and possibly its upcoming fully-autonomous Robotaxis that will be introduced on public streets. Federal Judge Beth Bloom, who will oversee the trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, decided last month that the jury can evaluate punitive damages against Tesla, which could result in significant monetary consequences for the company.

"A rational jury might conclude that Tesla showed willful indifference toward human safety in pursuit of product development and boosting profits," Bloom stated in a legal document. The trial is scheduled to start with jury selection on Monday and is anticipated to take three weeks.

If a jury determines that Tesla is guilty, "it would mark a significant turning point," stated Matthew Wansley, a law professor at Cardozo School of Law affiliated with Yeshiva University, whose expertise lies in developing automobile technologies. "Lawyers representing the injured parties across the nation may feel encouraged to file comparable lawsuits, and Tesla might be inclined to reach settlements under conditions advantageous to these claimants," he added, should the company face defeat in Miami.

Tesla has previously won comparable lawsuits. In 2023, a local court panel in Los Angeles found The driver was responsible for a collision that involved the technology. Later that same year, A state jury determined that Tesla was not responsible for the incident in Riverside, California. In a deadly accident involving a driver who was reportedly using Autopilot, the vehicle abruptly left the highway, struck a palm tree, and caught fire.

In 2024, Tesla resolved yet another deadly incident involving Autopilot just prior to its scheduled court hearing in California.

The lawsuit regarding the 2019 Key Largo accident seems to mark the initial instance where a wrongful death claim against Tesla, initiated by someone other than a driver or family member, will go before a federal jury, as stated by the plaintiff’s attorneys. Earlier lawsuits were filed by Tesla drivers or their relatives; this particular case includes individuals who were not involved in operating the vehicle but became victims of the incident.

In April during a clear evening, the 2019 accident occurred as Angulo and Benavides Leon stopped by the roadside following an extended day of fishing. According to Angulo, in a prior conversation with The Washington Post, the pair was attempting to observe the stars.

McGee, not noticing a flashing yellow light, a stop sign, and five yellow markers indicating the end of the street, crashed through the three-way intersection and struck the couple.

Oh my goodness, I wasn't paying attention," driver McGee stated in a 911 call right after the accident, as noted in court records. "I have no idea what occurred. I missed the exit. I had my eyes down.

I dropped my phone," he said to the authorities. "Oh my goodness.

As stated in legal papers, user guides, and communications with regulatory authorities, Tesla's Autopilot system is designed for operation on limited-access highways—roads featuring barriers, well-defined lanes, and no opposing traffic.

The choice made by Tesla to not restrict the technology so that it functions exclusively on roads meeting the standards outlined in its own user guidelines became the focus of a NHTSA recall from 2023. The organization stated that Tesla has not taken sufficient measures to guarantee that drivers remain focused on the roadway when using its Autopilot driver-support system.

Tesla disagreed with the agency's complaints at the time, but stated that it resolved the problem through software updates that included reminders to alert drivers to stay focused when utilizing the autonomous driving system.

Plaintiffs must overcome a significant legal hurdle, partly due to how Tesla cars consistently alert drivers to the constraints of the feature and McGee's acknowledgment of his accountability when utilizing it.

During his sworn statement, McGee admitted that the road signs "were visible if he had lifted his eyes," and "if he had paid attention to the road, [he would have] seen the 'T' intersection clearly without obstruction for a significant distance—at minimum 1,000 feet," as noted in legal records.

As per McGee, "nothing stopped him from taking action to avoid the collision," according to the records.

In legal filings, Tesla claims that drivers are "accountable for events within the car" and that McGee failed to "carry out his responsibility" in monitoring the automated driving system and taking action prior to the accident.

As per legal filings, Tesla argues that "it is undeniable that this collision resulted entirely from McGee's intentional choice to reach for his phone while driving the car manually."

The opposing sides also differ on which particular driving assist features were engaged during the accident, as stated in legal documents.

Ed Walters, an instructor at Georgetown University Law Center specializing in legal matters concerning self-driving cars, stated that the main takeaway from the accident that resulted in Benavides Leon's death—and other ongoing lawsuits against the company—should be that driver-assist systems "are not fully automated vehicles."

They aren't meant to take over all driving responsibilities, and individuals should not utilize them in that manner," he stated. "If people keep using them as though they fully substitute the driver, lives will be lost.