Tesla Resolves Lawsuit Over Deadly Car Crash Prior to Jury Court Proceedings
In a recent development, Tesla Inc. has reached a confidential settlement with the family of a teenager who was killed in a 2019 California crash involving a Model 3 on Autopilot. The incident occurred on Interstate I-880 in Alameda County.
According to court filings, Benjamin Maldonado and his 15-year-old son Jovani were driving a Ford Explorer when the tragic accident took place. Traffic was slowing down at the time, and Maldonado activated his blinker before moving right. Unfortunately, the Tesla Model 3, also using Autopilot driver-assistance software, struck the Ford Explorer. The impact resulted in Jovani being ejected from the passenger seat and his subsequent death.
The settlement was disclosed to avoid a jury trial over the fatal wreck, which was scheduled to start in Alameda County Superior Court. This is not the first time Tesla has settled such a case, as they have previously been accused of blaming defective technology for deadly accidents.
The law firm representing the Maldonado family in the dispute against Tesla Inc. is Sexton Law. No specific details about the settlement terms have been disclosed, and the settlement amount remains undisclosed.
It's worth noting that this incident occurred in 2019, a year in which Tesla prevailed in two California trials over Autopilot crashes. However, the company suffered a significant setback in July 2023 when a federal jury in Miami found Tesla partially responsible for a fatal collision with a parked SUV. The federal jury in Miami imposed $200 million in punitive damages, and Tesla is currently challenging the verdict.
Representatives of Tesla and lawyers for the family did not respond to requests for comment regarding the settlement. This marks the latest move by Tesla to avoid a jury trial over a fatal wreck, underscoring the ongoing debate about the safety and reliability of Autopilot technology.
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