Tesla’s Appeal Rejected in Fatal Crash Case
A federal judge has turned down Tesla’s request to overturn a jury verdict totaling $243 million related to a 2019 accident involving a Model S equipped with Autopilot. The crash resulted in the tragic death of a 22-year-old woman and left her boyfriend with serious injuries.
In a ruling made public on Friday, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom from Miami stated that the trial evidence “amply supports” the jury’s verdict reached in August 2025. Tesla, according to the judge, did not present any new arguments to warrant setting aside the verdict.
It seems Tesla, led by Elon Musk, plans to appeal. However, there was no response from the legal team regarding requests for comment.
The case dates back to April 25, 2019, in Key Largo, Florida, where George Magee was driving a 2019 Model S at around 102 miles per hour. He lost focus briefly while retrieving his dropped cell phone and, unfortunately, collided with a parked SUV. The vehicle belonged to Nyvel Benavidez Leon and Dillon Angulo, who were standing beside it.
Jurors held Tesla accountable for 33% of the incident. They awarded $19.5 million to the estate of Benavidez and $23.1 million to Angulo, along with punitive damages of $200 million to be divided equally between the plaintiffs. It’s worth noting that Mr. Magee had previously settled with the individuals involved.
This ruling marked the first federal jury verdict in a fatal crash involving Tesla’s Autopilot feature.
Tesla’s argument for overturning the verdict centered on the belief that Magee should bear full responsibility for the crash, asserting that his Model S was not defective and claiming that the verdict defied common sense.
The automaker further asserted that its punitive damages should amount to zero, arguing that they should not be liable for damages caused by reckless drivers and contending that their actions did not demonstrate “reckless disregard for human life” as stated in Florida law.
No comments were received from the lawyers representing the plaintiffs either.
Tesla has previously faced multiple lawsuits about the autonomous features in its vehicles, many of which were either settled or dismissed before trial.
Musk has consistently promoted Tesla as a frontrunner in the realms of self-driving technology and robotaxicabs, which adds a layer of complexity to the ongoing discussions surrounding vehicle safety and accountability.
