KATHMANDU: Elon Musk’s electric car company Tesla refused a $60 million settlement offer in a case over a 2019 fatal crash involving a Model S with Autopilot.
Later, a jury ordered the company to pay $243 million, according to Reuters.
Lawyers for the victims told a Miami court that they had made the $60 million offer in May. Since Tesla turned it down, they are now also asking the company to cover their legal fees, as allowed under Florida law.
The case was related to a 2019 crash where a Tesla Model S on Autopilot hit a parked Chevrolet Tahoe. Naibel Benavides Leon, who was standing near the Tahoe, died in the accident. Her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, was seriously injured.
The jury awarded $129 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages. Tesla was found responsible for 33% of the compensatory damages, or $42.6 million, and for all of the punitive damages. The driver was found liable for the remaining 67% but was not a defendant in the case.
Tesla denied any wrongdoing. The company said the verdict could slow down the development of safety technology and confirmed it will appeal the decision.
Lawyers for the victims said this was the first U.S. trial involving the death of a third party linked to Tesla’s Autopilot. Previous lawsuits over the system were either settled or dismissed before reaching trial.
