A judge has denied Tesla Inc’s request to overturn a $243 million jury verdict that held the automaker partially responsible for a fatal crash involving its Autopilot assistance system.
“The grounds of relief relied upon by Tesla are virtually the same as those previously raised by Tesla during the trial and in its summary judgment briefs – arguments that have already been considered and rejected,” Hon. Reads Judge Beth Bloom’s decision. “Furthermore, Tesla presents no additional arguments or controlling law that would persuade this court to change its prior decisions or the jury’s verdict.”
Last August, a jury returned a $243 million verdict against Tesla for its culpability in a 2019 fatal crash in Florida that killed Nibel Benavides and seriously injured Dillon Angulo. The jury placed two-thirds of the blame on the driver and assigned one-third to Tesla. Notably, the jury only assessed punitive damages against Tesla.
In their request to overturn the ruling, Tesla’s lawyers argued that the driver, who helped cause the accident, was to blame.
