Tesla fined $242M for deadly Autopilot crash; plans appeal
A federal jury in Miami has ordered Tesla to pay over $242 million in damages after finding the company partly at fault for a deadly 2019 crash involving its Autopilot system. The verdict, delivered on August 1, 2025, includes approximately $129 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages awarded to the family of 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon, who was killed, and her seriously injured boyfriend, Dillon Angulo.
The lawsuit stemmed from an April 25, 2019, incident in Key Largo, Florida. Benavides Leon and Angulo had parked their SUV on the side of the road when a Tesla Model S, driven by George McGee, slammed into them at over 60 miles per hour. The lawsuit alleged that McGee, who claimed he was distracted by dropping his phone, was using Autopilot at the time.
The plaintiffs argued that Tesla’s Autopilot system failed to prevent the crash and that the company deceptively marketed the technology as more capable than it truly was. Tesla, conversely, maintained that McGee was solely responsible for the accident. However, the jury ultimately apportioned 67% of the blame to the driver, George McGee, and 32% to Tesla.
This decision marks a significant outcome, as many similar cases against Tesla concerning its Autopilot system have either been dismissed or settled out of court to avoid trial. Legal experts suggest this verdict could “open the floodgates” for more lawsuits against the automaker.
Tesla has stated that it plans to appeal the verdict, calling the decision “wrong.” The company asserts that the evidence demonstrated the driver was “overwhelmingly responsible” due to speeding and being distracted, overriding Autopilot in the process. The company further stated that the verdict “only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla’s and the entire industry’s efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology.”
The case also brought forth accusations from the plaintiffs’ lawyers that Tesla had either hidden or lost crucial evidence, including data and video recorded moments before the crash. While Tesla initially denied possessing such evidence, a forensic data expert hired by the plaintiffs was able to uncover it, leading Tesla to admit it had made a mistake and had not realized the evidence was present.
This verdict comes at a time when Tesla CEO Elon Musk is actively promoting the safety of his company’s vehicles and has plans to launch a driverless taxi service in several cities in the coming months. While Tesla states it has significantly improved its technology since the 2019 crash, the impact of this verdict on the company’s reputation for safety remains to be seen.