A judge ruled Tesla still has to pay $243 million for a fatal crash involving Autopilot

"Tesla is still on the hook for $243 million after a US judge rejected the EV maker's bid to overturn a jury verdict from last year. On Friday, US District Judge Beth Bloom upheld the jury's decision to hold Tesla partially responsible for a deadly crash that happened in 2019 and involved the self-driving Autopilot feature. The judge added that there was enough evidence to support the jury's verdict, which was delivered in August 2025."

"While the case has been moving along recently, the incident dates back to several years ago when the driver of a Model S, George McGee, was using Tesla's Autopilot feature while bending down to retrieve a dropped phone. The Model S then crashed into an SUV that was parked on a shoulder, where Naibel Benavides Leon and Dillon Angulo were standing aside. Benavides was killed in the crash, while Angulo was severely injured."

"Tesla hasn't publicly commented on Judge Bloom's decision yet, but it won't be a surprise to see the company appeal the latest ruling with a higher court. Tesla's lawyers previously tried to pin the blame on the driver, claiming that the Model S and Autopilot weren't defective. As this major case plays out, Tesla is also facing several investigations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for both its Autopilot and Full-Self Driving features."

US District Judge Beth Bloom upheld a jury verdict that held Tesla partially responsible for a 2019 crash involving the Autopilot system and affirmed a $243 million judgment. The jury verdict from August 2025 awarded compensatory and punitive damages after finding sufficient evidence to support partial liability. The crash occurred when a Model S driven by George McGee struck a parked SUV while the driver bent down to retrieve a dropped phone, killing Naibel Benavides Leon and severely injuring Dillon Angulo. Tesla previously blamed the driver and denied defects, and an appeal is likely. The NHTSA is investigating Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features.

Read at Engadget