A federal judge has rejected Tesla’s attempt to overturn a $243 million jury verdict holding the automaker partially responsible for a fatal crash involving its Autopilot driver-assistance system.

In her ruling, Hon. Judge Beth Bloom noted that Tesla’s arguments mirrored those already presented during trial and in previous motions, which the court had considered and rejected. “Furthermore, Tesla does not present additional arguments or controlling law that persuades this Court to alter its earlier decisions or the jury verdict,” the decision stated.

Background on the Case

The verdict stems from a 2019 crash in Florida that killed Naibel Benavides and critically injured Dillon Angulo. The jury found the driver two-thirds responsible for the incident and assigned one-third liability to Tesla. Significantly, the punitive damages portion of the $243 million award applied solely to Tesla.

Tesla had argued in court that the driver bore the full responsibility for the crash, citing alleged misuse of the Autopilot system. The company’s efforts to overturn the ruling were ultimately unsuccessful, reinforcing the jury’s original allocation of liability.

The case underscores the ongoing legal scrutiny surrounding Tesla’s Autopilot technology and its role in driver safety incidents.