Tesla’s Agreement on the Autopilot Accident
Tesla has reached a confidential agreement in a 2019 accident case involving the Autopilot system. The case was closed a month before the trial was set to begin, after four years of litigation. This decision came following a $329 million verdict in a similar incident in Florida.
Circumstances of the Tragedy
In August 2019, the driver of a Ford Explorer Sport Trac was rear-ended by another driver operating a Tesla Model 3 with the Autopilot system enabled. As a result of the impact, the Ford lost control, rolled over, and the driver’s 15-year-old son, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and died. A few weeks before the trial was to start, Tesla quietly settled the lawsuit.
Accident Details
The Tesla driver, Romeo Yalung, was traveling at 69 mph in the third lane of Interstate 880 in California. Video from the electric vehicle shows that the Ford driver, Benjamin Escudero, signaled and changed lanes into the same lane ahead. Neither Yalung nor the Tesla with Autopilot engaged reduced speed to avoid colliding with the Ford.
Lawsuit Participants and Case Progress
The lawsuit involved several participants: not only Tesla and Yalung, but also Yalung’s wife, who was in the passenger seat at the time of the accident. Over four years, Judge Rebecca Everson had the opportunity to dismiss the case but allowed it to continue. Now, a month before the trial, Tesla reached an agreement for an undisclosed amount.
Context of Court Decisions Regarding Autopilot
Such a decision may seem unexpected, given the circumstances. Tesla has a largely winning record in court when it comes to lawsuits related to Autopilot or Full Self-Driving. Juries and judges have mostly ruled that the person behind the wheel is responsible for control, not Tesla. Furthermore, the video of the tragic accident certainly raises questions about Mr. Yalung’s attentiveness.
Previous Verdict in Florida
This agreement came after a Florida jury found Tesla partially responsible for another fatal accident involving Autopilot. In that case, the Tesla driver collided with two people on the roadside, pleaded guilty to police, and stated that he was not paying attention during the accident. Despite this, the jury awarded the plaintiffs $242 million.
Possible Motives for the Settlement
Tesla is now appealing that verdict, but a new loss in court could have been detrimental to the company. Settling this case in California may have been a calculated step to avoid the risk of a similar outcome repeating.
This situation points to the complexity of allocating responsibility between drivers and manufacturers of autonomous driving technologies. While courts often recognize the priority of driver attention, large compensation amounts in previous cases set a precedent that may influence the company’s future decisions regarding legal disputes. Future cases will likely continue to define the boundaries of legal liability for semi-autonomous systems.