A historic judgment ruled that the Tesla will have to pay US$234 million to compensate the families of victims of a fatal accident with its autopilot system.
According to the website’s report Electrekthe case happened in 2019, when George McGee was driving his Tesla Model S by the city of Key Largo, Florida (USA). McGee’s cell phone had fallen to the floor, so he activated autopilot mode to bend down and retrieve the phone.
O Tesla McGee was traveling about 100 km/h when he ran a red light and hit a Chevrolet Tahoe that was parked. The accident killed Naibel Benavides Leonaged 22, and seriously injured her boyfriend, Dillon Angulowho was 26 years old at the time.
In August 2025, a federal jury in Miami found the Tesla responsible for the accident, attributing 33% of the blame to the automaker. The jury awarded $43 million in compensatory damages and an additional $200 million in punitive damages.
This was the first major victory for an author against Tesla in a wrongful death case related to the company’s Autopilot system. It is worth remembering that the Tesla had rejected a $60 million settlement offer before trial, a decision that cost the company dearly.
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Despite this, the Tesla tried to appeal the conviction. In August 2025, the company’s lawyers filed a 71-page motion asking the court to throw out the verdict or grant a new trial.
The company argued that the verdict “flies against basic Florida tort law, the Due Process Clause and common sense.” THE Tesla also stated that references to statements by the company’s CEO, Elon Muskabout autopilot during the trial misled the jury.
Nonetheless, Beth BloomUS District Judge, was not convinced. His decision pointed out that the Tesla did not present new arguments that would justify overturning the jury’s decision. Still, the Tesla indicated that he will appeal the verdict to a higher court.
The company also pointed to a pretrial agreement that it says would cap punitive damages at three times compensatory damages, which could reduce the final payout. But even under this interpretation, the Tesla You will still have to pay a nine-figure compensation.
“The arguments of Tesla they were simply an attempt to re-discuss the court’s pre-trial rulings. We look forward to continuing our work to hold the Tesla for his lies and gross misconduct in courts across America,” he declared Brett Schreiberlawyers for the victims, in a note sent to the Electrek.
Photo: Unsplash. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
