![The case arose from an April 25, 2019, incident in Key Largo, Florida [File]](https://www.thehindu.com/theme/images/th-online/1x1_spacer.png "This case stems from an April 25, 2019, incident in Key Largo, Florida [File]")
The case stems from an April 25, 2019 incident in Key Largo, Florida. [File] | Photo credit: AP
A US federal judge has denied Tesla’s request to overturn a $243 million jury verdict over the 2019 crash of a Model S with Autopilot that killed a 22-year-old woman and seriously injured her boyfriend. In a decision made public on Friday, US District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami said testimony at the hearing “more than supports” the August 2025 ruling, and Tesla did not raise new arguments to set aside the ruling.
Elon Musk-led Tesla is expected to appeal. Its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The case arose out of an April 25, 2019, incident in Key Largo, Florida, in which George McGee drove his 2019 Model S through an intersection at approximately 62 mph (100 kph) while bending over to look for his dropped phone.
McGee hit Naibel Benavides Leon and Dillon Angulo’s SUV, which stopped on the shoulder and they were on the side.
Jurors found Tesla 33% responsible for the crash. They awarded $19.5 million in compensatory damages to the Benavides estate and $23.1 million to Angulo, with an additional $200 million in punitive damages split between them. McGee had previously settled with the plaintiffs.
First verdict from a federal jury about a fatal accident involving Autopilot.
In seeking reversal, Tesla said McGee deserved sole blame for the crash, that his Model S was not defective and that the judgment defied common sense.
Tesla said the automakers “do not insure the world against damages caused by negligent drivers” and Florida law requires punitive damages to be zero because they did not demonstrate “reckless disregard for human life.”
Attorneys for the plaintiffs also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tesla has faced several similar lawsuits over the self-driving capabilities of its vehicles, but those have either been settled or dismissed without going to trial.
Musk, the world’s richest man, has long touted Tesla as a leader in autonomous driving for private vehicles and robotaxis.
Published – February 21, 2026 11:25 am IST
