Out of court settlement: Tesla pays bereaved family of driver in Autopilot use gone wrong
Shaun · Apr 9, 2024 10:12 AM
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In a recent development revealed through court documents, Tesla has reached a settlement regarding a lawsuit stemming from a 2018 car accident that claimed the life of an Apple engineer, reports Reuters. The fatal incident occurred when the engineer's Tesla Model X, operating on Autopilot, veered off a highway near San Francisco.
The settlement agreement was reached just before the trial. This settlement marks an important step for Tesla, which has been embroiled in a series of lawsuits concerning crashes purportedly linked to the use of Autopilot, posing both financial and reputational risks for the company.
While the specific terms of the settlement remain undisclosed, the resolution comes at a time when Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, is promoting advancements in self-driving technology, which he views as pivotal for the company's future financial success.
The 2018 accident claimed the life of 38-year-old Walter Huang, whose family contended that Autopilot directed his Model X into a highway barrier. Questions were raised by Huang's legal representatives regarding Tesla's understanding of how drivers would utilise or not utilise the system as instructed, as well as what measures the automaker took to safeguard users.
Tesla countered these claims by alleging that Huang misused the Autopilot system, purportedly engaging in a video game moments before the crash.
This fatal crash is among numerous incidents in the United States where Autopilot has been implicated as a contributing factor, as reported to auto safety regulators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has investigated hundreds of such accidents, including over 40 inquiries into Tesla automated-driving systems resulting in 23 fatalities.
Legal expert Bryant Walker Smith of the University of South Carolina remarked on the significance of Tesla's decision to settle, suggesting that it may signal a willingness to resolve similar disputes in the future. “What this does do, though, is it says to other attorneys, we might settle. We might not always fight it. That is the signal,” he said.
Model X
This settlement follows two prior trials in California where Tesla successfully defended itself by arguing that drivers failed to maintain attention while using Autopilot.
Tesla highlights that while Autopilot can assist with tasks like matching speed to surrounding traffic and staying within a lane on highways, it does not render the vehicle autonomous. The company's materials stress the need for a fully attentive driver who can take control at any moment, despite the advanced capabilities of its driver-assist technologies.
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