US judge upholds $243 million verdict against Tesla over fatal Autopilot crash

​A US federal judge rejected Tesla’s request to overturn ⁠a $243 million jury verdict over the 2019 crash of an Autopilot-equipped Model S, which killed a 22-year-old woman and severely injured her ‌boyfriend. In a decision made public on Friday, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami said the evidence ‌at trial “more than supported” the August 2025 verdict, and ‌Tesla ⁠raised no new arguments to set the verdict aside.

Tesla, ⁠led by Elon Musk, is expected to appeal. Its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The case arose from an April ​25, 2019, incident in ‌Key Largo, Florida, in which George McGee drove his 2019 Model S through an intersection at about 62 mph (100 kph) while he bent to look for his phone, which ‌he had dropped.

McGee crashed into Naibel Benavides Leon and ​Dillon Angulo’s SUV, which was parked on a shoulder and which they stood beside.

Jurors found Tesla ⁠33% responsible for the crash. They awarded compensatory damages of $19.5 million to Benavides’ estate and $23.1 million to Angulo, plus $200 million ‌of punitive damages to be split between them. McGee previously settled with the plaintiffs.

The verdict was the first from a federal jury concerning a fatal accident involving Autopilot.

In seeking a reversal, Tesla said McGee deserved sole blame for the crash, his Model S wasn’t defective, and the verdict defied common sense.

Tesla ‌said automakers “do not insure the world against harms caused by reckless drivers,” ​and punitive damages should be zero because it did not exhibit “reckless disregard for human life” under Florida law.

Lawyers ⁠for the plaintiffs also did not immediately respond to requests for ⁠comment.

Tesla has faced many similar lawsuits over its vehicles’ self-driving capabilities, but they have been resolved or dismissed ‌without going to trial.

Musk, the world’s richest person, has long touted Tesla as a leader in autonomous driving ​for private vehicles and robotaxis.