Miami, FL — In a high-profile trial held in Miami, plaintiffs seeking to hold Tesla accountable for a fatal crash in the Florida Keys have requested a $345 million damages award. The lawsuit centers around allegations that Tesla’s autopilot system is defective and was irresponsibly marketed to consumers.
During closing arguments on Thursday, plaintiffs’ attorney Brett Schreiber urged the jury to grant $55 million to the parents of Naibel Benavides Leon, who tragically lost her life in the April 2019 crash, and $54 million to her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, who sustained serious injuries in the same incident.
In addition to these compensatory damages, Schreiber called for $236.39 million in punitive damages. He argued these damages are necessary to hold Tesla accountable for “overhyping” the autopilot capabilities and employing unorthodox testing methods that compromised safety.
“This case reveals a systemic failure in Tesla’s autopilot philosophy,” Schreiber said. “The company overpromised and underengineered a system that has resulted in tragic deaths.”
The plaintiffs maintain that Tesla’s autopilot is defective because it allows use on roads it was not designed for, such as Card Sound Road in Key Largo where the crash occurred, and because it fails to adequately monitor driver attention.
Tesla, however, contends that the crash was caused by driver George Brian McGee, who was speeding and distracted by a dropped cellphone when the collision happened. McGee ran a stop sign and crashed into a parked vehicle, killing Benavides.
Tesla’s legal team emphasized that distracted driving is a widespread issue, responsible for nearly 30% of crash fatalities in 2019, and argued that the accident could have happened in any vehicle.
The trial, Benavides v. Tesla Inc., case number 1:21-cv-21940, is currently before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Jurors began deliberations Thursday afternoon.
Plaintiffs are represented by Adam T. Boumel of Rousso Boumel Law Firm PLLC; Brett Schreiber, Satyasrinivas M. Hanumadass, and Carmela S. Birnbaum of Singleton Schreiber LLP; Todd Poses of Poses Law Group PA; and Douglas F. Eaton of Eaton & Wolk PL.
Tesla’s defense team includes Whitney V. Cruz, Wendy F. Lumish, Thomas P. Branigan, Drew P. Branigan, and Joel H. Smith of Bowman and Brooke LLP, along with Hilarie Bass of Hilarie Bass Esq. LLC.
