In a major blow to Tesla’s autonomous driving program, a Florida jury last week found the company partially (33%) liable for a fatal 2019 crash involving its Autopilot feature and ordered the automaker to pay more than $240 million damages to the plaintiffs. The verdict includes $200 million in punitive damages, sending a strong message about corporate responsibility amid growing concerns over advanced driver-assistance technologies.
The case centered on a deadly collision in Key Largo, Florida, where 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon was killed after a speeding 2019 Tesla Model S plowed through a stop sign and struck a parked Chevrolet Tahoe. Benavides, who was standing next to the SUV with her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, died at the scene. Angulo, then 26, suffered serious injuries. Jurors awarded $59 million to Benavides’ parents and $70 million to Angulo.
The driver of the Tesla, George Brian McGee, admitted to removing his eyes from the road after dropping his phone. Although he had activated the vehicle’s Autopilot system earlier on Card Sound Road, he was pressing the accelerator at the time of the crash—effectively overriding the system’s braking function. Jurors found McGee 67% responsible for the crash but assigned 33% of the blame to Tesla.
At the heart of the trial was the question of whether Tesla's Autopilot system is fundamentally flawed and whether the company misled the public about its capabilities. Plaintiffs argued the system should never have been operable on roads like Card Sound Road, which lack the clear markings and controlled access Autopilot is designed for. They also said the software failed to ensure that drivers remained attentive.
Testimony revealed that McGee had used Autopilot on the same route multiple times without incident but became "too comfortable" with the system. That comfort, combined with the dropped phone, led to the crash. Plaintiffs maintained that Tesla knowingly allowed its system to be used outside of intended parameters while publicly promoting it as safer and more capable than it actually was.
Tesla strongly disagreed with the verdict and signaled plans to appeal. The company contends the driver was entirely at fault and that Autopilot, even if engaged, was overridden and would not have been able to prevent the crash. Tesla argued no vehicle on the road in 2019—or today—could have prevented such a collision under those circumstances.
Still, the jury’s decision reflects a broader concern about the public rollout of semi-autonomous driving features. The punitive damages, in particular, suggest jurors believed Tesla acted recklessly in promoting its technology without implementing stronger safeguards or clearer limitations.
McGee faced a charge of careless driving in 2019, which he did not contest. He settled civil claims brought by the victims’ families and completed court-mandated traffic school.
The ruling comes as Tesla continues to push toward more advanced iterations of its driver-assistance software and as regulators worldwide examine how to balance innovation with public safety. The case may become a landmark in defining automaker liability in the age of automation.
Photo Editorial Credit: St. Petersburg, Florida, March 15, 2025. Del Harper/Shutterstock.com.
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