U.S. Judge Upholds $243 Million Verdict Against Tesla in Autopilot Crash Case
A federal judge has denied Tesla’s request to overturn a $243 million jury verdict related to a fatal 2019 crash involving an Autopilot-equipped Model S.
In a ruling made public on Friday, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami stated that the evidence presented during the trial strongly supported the jury’s August 2025 decision. The court found that Tesla failed to provide new arguments sufficient to overturn the verdict.
Tesla, led by Elon Musk, is expected to appeal the decision. The company’s legal team did not immediately comment.
Details of the 2019 Autopilot Crash
The case stems from an April 25, 2019, accident in Key Largo, Florida. According to court records, George McGee was driving his 2019 Tesla Model S at approximately 62 mph (100 kph) when he bent down to retrieve a dropped phone.
His vehicle struck an SUV parked on the roadside, next to which Naibel Benavides Leon and Dillon Angulo were standing. The crash killed Benavides Leon, 22, and left Angulo seriously injured.
Jury Finds Tesla Partially Liable
Jurors determined that Tesla was 33% responsible for the fatal crash. They awarded $19.5 million in compensatory damages to Benavides Leon’s estate and $23.1 million to Angulo. In addition, the jury imposed $200 million in punitive damages, to be shared between the plaintiffs.
McGee had previously reached a settlement with the victims’ families.
The ruling marked the first federal jury verdict involving a fatal accident linked to Tesla’s Autopilot system.
Tesla’s Defense and Broader Legal Challenges
In its effort to reverse the verdict, Tesla argued that the driver bore full responsibility for the accident and that the Model S was not defective. The company maintained that automakers cannot be held liable for reckless driving behavior and said punitive damages were unjustified under Florida law.
Tesla further stated that it did not demonstrate reckless disregard for human life.
The company has faced multiple lawsuits over its self-driving and Autopilot technology in recent years. However, many of those cases were settled or dismissed before reaching trial.
Elon Musk has consistently positioned Tesla as a pioneer in autonomous driving, promoting its advancements in self-driving vehicles and robotaxi technology.
