Tesla Found Partly Liable in 2019 Autopilot Death

A Miami jury has ordered the automaker to pay up to $243 million after finding that the Tesla vehicle had a “defect.” It's the first time Tesla has been found liable in an Autopilot-related crash.

A Miami jury found Tesla partially liable Friday in a 2019 crash that killed one person and injured another—all while the driver of the Model S used the automaker’s Autopilot driver assistance feature.

The jury found Tesla liable for $200 million in punitive damages, plus an additional $43 million in compensatory damages. (Because of state laws, the company will likely end up paying less.) A jury found the automaker one-third responsible for the crash; it found the driver of the Tesla, who settled with the plaintiffs and testified during the trial, responsible for the other two-thirds.

In a written statement, Tesla spokesperson Jeff McAndrews, said that the ...