A California jury has found Tesla not responsible for injuries sustained by a driver when her Model S hit a curb while on Autopilot. Justine Hsu alleged that her 2016 Model S swerved right and hit a curb, causing the driver’s airbag to deploy so violently it fractured her jaw, knocked out teeth and caused nerve damage to her face. Hsu claimed that the company was on notice prior to the accident of certain defects in its Autopilot and frontal airbag systems. The case finally went to trial in Spring 2023, with the jury rejecting the Autopilot claim, stating that driver distraction was to blame for the accident.
Jurors heard from three Tesla engineers who testified about the Autopilot system works and safeguards built into the system to remind drivers to always be attentive to the road. The jury awarded Hsu nothing in damages. Several other Autopilot-related lawsuits are still pending. Reuters says this is an important victory for Tesla as it is the first Autopilot lawsuit to go to trial in the US and could influence the juries in other pending cases.
Autopilot never confessed to be self-pilot
Tesla’s Autopilot is not a self-piloted system, and driver distraction was to blame for the accident, says the jury. They felt badly for Hsu but ultimately determined that Autopilot was not at fault. Juror Mitchell Vasseur stated that Autopilot never confessed to be self-pilot, it’s an auto-assist, and Tesla was adamant about a driver needing to always be aware. The accident would not have happened if Hsu had been more attentive, Vasseur said.
Juror foreperson Olivia Apsher said the Autopilot system reminds drivers when they are not adequately taking control, and it’s the driver’s responsibility to ensure they’re always aware. While she would love to have Autopilot features in her car, she added that the technology was assisting and not self-piloted.
Pending Autopilot-related lawsuits
Tesla is the defendant in a case brought by five Texas police officers injured in February 2021 when a Tesla Model X operating in Autopilot mode crashed into several police vehicles. Tesla’s Autopilot has run into emergency vehicles, and this is a factor in the decision. A decision by a state court in Southern California is not binding on other courts, even in California or other states, but Tesla survived the first round in what promises to be a protracted battle.
Source: ©Culver City Firefighters Local
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