Tesla
An American court has condemned Tesla to pay more than 200 million euros due to an accident with the autonomous driving system of Elon Musk’s electric vehicle brand. The trial also revealed the company’s “shocking tactics”, which hid crucial evidence – that the defense was able to show.
A jury from Miami decided that Tesla was partially responsible for a deadly accident in Florida, which involved its technology of assisting Autopilot, and condemned Elon Musk’s company to pay victims more than $ 240 million (about 207 million euros) in compensation.
The federal jury considered that Tesla had a significant responsibility In the accident, because Your technology has failedand that not all the fault can fall on a reckless driver – even if it admitted to having distracted with the mobile phone. Before packing on a young couple who were watching the stars.
The decision comes at a time when Musk tries to convince Americans that their cars are enough insurance to circulate without driver while preparing the launch in the coming months of their autonomous taxi service in several cities around the country.
The decision puts an end to a Case that dragged on for four yearsnot only not only for the result but for have not even reached judgmentsays to.
In recent years, numerous similar cases against Tesla have been archived and, when it did not happen, were resolved by the company With extra-judicial agreements, to prevent public exposure of a trial.
“This will open the Pandora box“, Considers Miguel Custodiolawyer specializing in road accidents, who was not involved in the case. “Go Encourage many people to advance to court“.
The trial also included shocking accusations of the deceased’s family lawyers Naibel Benavides Leon22, and her boyfriend, Dillon Angle, who was injured in the accident.
The lawyers claimed that Tesla hid or lost fundamental evidenceincluding Recorded data and videos seconds before the accident. After these evidence were presented in court, Tesla’s defense says it has “made a mistake” and that “honestly didn’t think they were there“.
Tesla has been previously criticized for being slow to provide crucial data To family members of other victims of accidents with Tesla, accusations that the company has denied.
In this case, the applicants showed that Tesla always had the testsdespite their repeated denials, hiring a forensic expert in data that discovered them.
“Today’s verdict is wrong,” Tesla said in a statement, “and only serves delay car safety and endanger Tesla’s efforts and from the whole industry to develop and implement life -saving technology. ”
According to the defense, which said it will appeal the sentence, the applicants invented a story “Blaming the car when his driver, from the first day, admitted and accepted responsibility“.
Beyond a Punitive compensation of 200 million dollars, the jury condemned Tesla to pay 43 of the 129 million requests by the victim’s family in compensatory damages by the accidentraising the total to $ 243 million.
“It is a high value, which will Send shockwaves to the rest of the industry“Says the financial analyst Dan Ives. “This is not a good day for Tesla.”
“Finally We discovered what happened that nightthat the car was really defective, ”said Neima Benavides, the victim’s sister.Justice was done“.
