"Tesla rejected a $60 million settlement in the wrongful death case that ended up costing the company $243 million in punitive and compensatory damages, Reuters reported today, citing newly filed legal documents. The proposal stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the families of the victims in a 2019 crash in which a Tesla Model S driver using Autopilot crashed into a parked vehicle, killing a woman and seriously injuring her boyfriend."
"Tesla rejected the settlement offer from the plaintiffs' lawyers, while countering with a much smaller sum as well as a demand for non-disclosure, said Brett Schreiber, the attorney representing the victims' families. "In response to our settlement demand of [$60 million] Tesla made a settlement offer that was a fraction of the verdict and a fraction of our demand - but required confidentiality and our clients weren't interested," Schreiber said in a statement to The Verge."
"Tesla's rejection in the settlement is a rare glimpse into how the EV maker approaches lawsuits involving its driver assist features like Autopilot and Full Self-Driving. Over the years, there have been hundreds of crashes involving Tesla's partially autonomous features and dozens of fatalities. But the company has been able to avoid liability, either by settling with victims or convincing courts to dismiss the lawsuits."
Tesla declined a $60 million settlement demand in a wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from a 2019 crash in which a Model S on Autopilot struck a parked vehicle, killing a woman and seriously injuring her boyfriend. The case resulted in $243 million in punitive and compensatory damages. Lawyers for the victims revealed the settlement offer while seeking court orders to compel Tesla to pay legal fees. Tesla countered with a much smaller amount and sought confidentiality terms. The outcome highlights the company’s litigation posture around Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features amid numerous crashes and fatalities.
Read at The Verge
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