Last updated: April 22, 2023, 1:14 AM IST
Chief Executive Elon Musk has touted Tesla’s Autopilot and more advanced “Full Self-Driving (FSD)” system as critical to the future of his company. (Image: Tesla/Twitter)
The verdict could be a major victory for Tesla as it tests and rolls out its Autopilot and more advanced “Full Self-Driving (FSD)” system
A jury in a California state court on Friday awarded Tesla Inc an overwhelming victory, finding that the automaker’s Autopilot feature failed to operate safely in what appears to be the first trial involving a crash involving the partially automated driving software used to be.
The verdict could be a major win for Tesla as it tests and rolls out its Autopilot and more advanced “Full Self-Driving (FSD)” system, which Chief Executive Elon Musk has touted is critical to his company’s future but that has drawn regulatory and legal scrutiny.
Justine Hsu, a Los Angeles resident, sued the electric vehicle maker in 2020, saying her Tesla Model S drove into a curb while on autopilot and then deployed an airbag “so violently it crushed the jaw of the driver.” the plaintiff broke, knocked out teeth, and caused nerve damage in her face.”
She claimed there are flaws in the design of Autopilot and the airbag, seeking more than $3 million in damages for the alleged flaws and other claims.
Tesla denied liability for the 2019 accident. A lawsuit stated that Hsu was using Autopilot on city streets despite warnings in Tesla’s owner’s manual to do so.
At a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, the jury awarded Hsu zero damages. It also found that the airbag did not fail to operate safely and that Tesla did not deliberately fail to disclose facts to it.
Tesla representatives and a lawyer for Hsu did not immediately comment.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed)
