A federal judge has declined to overturn a $243 million jury verdict tied to a fatal 2019 crash involving a Tesla Model S equipped with the company's Autopilot system.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami issued the ruling public on Friday, concluding that the evidence introduced during the trial "more than supported" the jury's finding. In her opinion, Judge Bloom said Tesla did not offer any fresh legal arguments that would warrant setting aside the award.
The underlying lawsuit stems from a 2019 collision that resulted in fatalities and involved a Tesla Model S operating with Autopilot engaged. A jury ultimately assigned $243 million in damages to the victims of that accident.
Tesla moved to have the jury's verdict vacated, but the court determined the company's arguments were insufficient to alter the outcome reached at trial. The decision means the jury's award stands, based on the judge's assessment that the trial record supported the verdict.
Case details
- The crash in question occurred in 2019 and involved a Tesla Model S using Autopilot.
- A jury awarded $243 million to the victims of the fatal collision.
- Tesla sought judicial relief to overturn that verdict; the judge denied the motion.
Court's reasoning
Judge Bloom stated that the trial evidence "more than supported" the jury's decision and found no novel arguments from Tesla that would justify setting aside the verdict. The ruling affirms the jury's award in full based on the judge's review of the record presented at trial.
Implications and context
The court's ruling leaves intact the $243 million award tied to the 2019 fatal crash. Beyond confirming the jury's decision, the opinion emphasizes that the judge found the trial record sufficient to support the verdict and that no new legal basis was advanced by Tesla to disturb that outcome.