In the latest legal twist for Tesla, a Florida judge has given the green light for a trial to proceed in a lawsuit concerning the company’s autopilot-driving technology. Palm Beach County Judge Reid Scott, in a significant development, ruled that there is “reasonable evidence” suggesting that Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, and other executives were aware of defects in the autopilot system. Despite this knowledge, the company allegedly continued promoting the technology and selling it to consumers.
The lawsuit revolves around a tragic incident in 2019 when Tesla owner Jeremy Banner activated the autopilot function on his Model 3, leading to a fatal collision with a semi-truck. The court documents, briefly available on the Palm Beach County Court’s website, revealed that the car, traveling at 69 mph, did not attempt to brake or take evasive action before colliding with the truck.
The dead man’s widow, Kim Banner, filed the lawsuit, charging Tesla with willful malfeasance and egregious negligence. Judge Scott noted the “eerily similar” nature of Banner’s accident to Tesla’s first autopilot-related fatality in 2016, involving a Model S and a semi-truck.
Scott emphasized that Tesla had allegedly made strong public statements and employed a marketing strategy presenting its products as autonomous, despite evidence suggesting flaws in the technology. This legal development follows a recent victory for Tesla in California, where a judge absolved the company’s driver-assistance software of blame in a fatal car crash.
As the legal proceedings unfold, Tesla finds itself navigating a complex landscape of scrutiny and legal challenges, further underscoring the ongoing debate surrounding the safety and reliability of autopilot technology. As of right now, neither Tesla nor the bereaved Banner family knows when the Palm Beach case will go to trial.
