In a landmark judgment, a Florida court has ordered Tesla to pay ₹2,100 crore ($242 million) indamages over a tragic car crash involving its Autopilot system. The accident, which happened inKey Largo in 2019, claimed the life of Nibel Benavides Leon and left her boyfriend Dilloninjured.
According to the case details, driver George McGee was using Tesla’s Autopilot mode when hebriefly looked away to pick up his phone. In that moment, the vehicle crashed into another car,leading to the fatal outcome.
The court awarded a total compensation of ₹2,860 crore ($329 million) — of which Tesla mustpay ₹2,100 crore, while the rest is to be covered by the driver. The ruling reflects the court’sview on shared responsibility between Tesla’s technology and the human driver.
Tesla, however, has pushed back against the verdict, claiming that its Autopilot system is safewhen used as instructed and that the driver failed to follow necessary safety precautions. Thecompany has stated its intention to appeal the decision.
The case has once again sparked debate about the safety of autonomous driving technologies andthe responsibilities of both carmakers and users.
