Sunday, 5th April 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 2nd August 2025, 5:25 PM
A jury in Florida has ordered Tesla to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to plaintiffs who attributed a fatal 2019 crash to the company’s “Autopilot” driver assistance technology.
Details of the Case and Verdict
| Incident Location | Key Largo, Florida |
| Date of Crash | 2019 |
| Victims | Naibel Benavides Leon (deceased), Dillon Angulo (injured) |
| Accused Driver | George McGee |
| Vehicle Involved | Tesla (Autopilot engaged), Chevrolet SUV |
| Legal Representatives | Attorney Darren Jeffrey Rousso (representing victims) |
The plaintiffs claimed that Tesla’s Autopilot system was partially responsible when George McGee’s Tesla careened into a Chevrolet SUV, resulting in the death of Leon and injuries to Angulo.
Financial Awards by the Jury
| Type of Damages | Amount Awarded (USD) |
| Punitive Damages | $200 million |
| Compensatory Damages | $59 million to Leon’s family |
| Additional Damages | $70 million to Angulo |
| Total Before Reduction | $329 million |
Because the jury assigned one-third of the blame to Tesla, compensatory damages will be proportionally reduced, bringing the total effective award to approximately $242 million.
Statements from Parties
“Justice was done. The jury heard all the evidence and reached a fair and just verdict on behalf of our clients.”
“Today’s verdict is wrong and only serves to hinder automotive safety and jeopardise Tesla’s and the entire industry’s efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology.”
“The evidence clearly shows the driver was solely at fault for speeding and overriding Autopilot while searching for his dropped phone, with his eyes off the road.”
“No car in 2019, nor any available today, would have prevented this crash. This case was never about Autopilot.
Next Steps
Tesla has announced its intention to appeal the verdict, maintaining that the driver’s negligence was the sole cause of the tragic accident.
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