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A jury of Miami on Friday found Tesla partly liable for a fatal crash of 2019 with its steering automatic system, which means that the automaker pays more than $ 242 million damage to the victims.
The family of Naibel Benavides Leon and her former friend, Dillon Angulo, received $ 329 million in total damage – $ 129 million in compensatory damage and $ 200 million in punitive damage, Reuters reported, referring to the judgment magazine.
Jury members at the Federal Court of Miami said that the automaker must pay 33% of compensatory damage, or $ 42.6 million, and the full punitive damage, $ 200 million, for a total of $ 242.6 million, according to Reuters.
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Tesla electric vehicles fill a car plot at the Tesla shop location in Smithtown, NY (John Paraskevas / Newsday RM via Getty Images / Getty images)
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The driver, George McGee, was found responsible for 67% of the crash, but because he was a suspect, he will not be obliged to pay his part of the damage, Reuters reported.
Brett Schreiber, a lawyer for the claimants, said that the verdict “represents justice for the tragic death of Nibel and the lifelong injuries of Dillon,” said Reuters.
A Tesla Robotaxi without the rear seat passengers travels on the street along South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas. (Reuters / Joel Angel Juarez / Reuters)
“Tesla only designed the steering machine for the highways with controlled access, but chose to deliberately not intentionally limit drivers to use it elsewhere, alongside Elon Musk who told the world that Autopilot was driving better than people,” Schreiber said in a statement.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
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| Tsla | Tesla Inc. | 302.63 | -5.64 |
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The automaker, who is planning to appeal against the jury’s decision, said that the verdict was wrong and that the driver had failed to defend speed violations, distracted and compelling directors.
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Dillon Angulo, center with tie, stands next to Neima Benavides, the sister of Dillon’s girlfriend, Naibel Benavides Leon, who was killed in a crash by Florida Keys in 2019 near the Ocean Reef Club. (Charles Rabin/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images/Getty images)
“The Law of Florida is explicitly that punishing compensation is anything but eliminated in cases of product liability, such as this one, so we are convinced that the price for the punitive damage will be destroyed at least and probably this entire opinion by the Court of Appeal.”
In April 2019, George McGee rode with 2019 with Autopilot-Uituge Tesla Model S at about 62 km / h, when he hit a parked Chevrolet Tahoe. The victims stood next to the SUV on the shoulder and Benavides Leon was killed while Angulo had serious injury, Reuters reported.
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The automaker, which recently launched his robotaxi company, has been the subject of similar lawsuits with regard to his self-driving vehicles, but they were arranged or rejected before they are tried, according to Reuters.
