In 2019, in Miami, the Tesla Model 3 of a man named Stephen Banner crashed under a truck that was on their way while traveling at high speed on autopilot. Banner died in the accident. After this accident, a lawsuit was filed against Tesla, but the case was delayed until last October. A date has not yet been set for the next hearing of the case, which was postponed once again in October.
Judge Reid Scott, who presided over the case, found evidence that Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other executives knew about the problem of autopilots but allowed the vehicles to be used unsafely.
Tesla may have to defend itself publicly.
Tesla, which has appeared before a judge in California twice before but managed to win the cases, may have to defend itself in public this time. Because it is possible for the hearings to become open to the public as the case progresses. University of South Carolina Law Professor Bryant Walker Smith stated that the judge’s decision was important and implied that there were “alarming inconsistencies” between what Tesla knew and what he said. Smith also said that the case could be opened to the public, and in this case, Tesla’s CEO and management could be in a very awkward situation in the face of testimonies and other evidence.
While Judge Scott stated that Tesla “engaged in a marketing strategy that portrays vehicles as autonomous,” he also said that Musk’s past statements had a serious impact on expectations of what the products could do. Scott also included in his evidence another fatal accident in 2016 that occurred in a very similar manner. While he added to the evidence an advertising video released in the same year in which it was stated that a Tesla was traveling completely autonomously in a place where there was also pedestrian traffic, he also pointed out that there was no statement in the advertisement that such a technology was not yet offered.
The judge working in Florida also pointed out that it could be concluded that the Tesla CEO and his engineers, who were the defense, were aware that the autopilot could not detect intersecting traffic. He said that the prosecution, which includes Banner’s wife, may also argue that Tesla’s booklets and click-to-accept contracts are inappropriate.
The plaintiff’s lawyer said he was proud of the result.
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