Tesla Ordered to Pay $243M in Fatal Autopilot Crash

Published AUG 2 2025

Story

Above: An employee drives a Tesla Motors Inc. Model S on a highway on Oct. 26, 2015. Image credit: Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Facts

A Miami federal jury found Tesla liable for 33% of the damages in a fatal 2019 Autopilot crash, ordering the company to pay a total of $243 million, including $200 million in punitive damages and $42.5 million in compensatory damages.
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The crash occurred on April 25, 2019, when driver George McGee's Tesla Model S, traveling at 62 miles per hour, ran through a stop sign and intersection after he bent down to retrieve his dropped phone, striking a parked Chevrolet Tahoe where Naibel Benavides Leon and Dillon Angulo were standing.
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Benavides Leon, age 22, was thrown 75 feet and died at the scene. Meanwhile, Angulo suffered serious injuries, including broken bones and traumatic brain injury.
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The jury assigned 67% of the blame to driver McGee, who testified that he expected Autopilot to assist him if he made a mistake. However, McGee was not a defendant and will not be required to pay his share of damages.
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This reportedly marks the first federal jury trial resulting in Tesla's liability for a wrongful death involving Autopilot technology. Tesla announced it will appeal the verdict.
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Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

Tesla's Autopilot system failed to protect innocent victims when it mattered most. The company deliberately allowed drivers to use Autopilot on roads it wasn't designed for, while Musk told the world it drove better than humans. This reckless marketing turned public roads into test tracks for flawed technology, putting everyday Americans in harm's way.

Daily Mail

Narrative B

The driver was entirely at fault for this tragic accident, having sped with his foot on the accelerator while searching for his dropped phone, all the while failing to keep a lookout for the road. No car technology in 2019 or today could have prevented this crash, which was caused by driver negligence. Blaming Tesla's Autopilot is a legal fiction that undermines progress in automotive safety.