Elon Musk's Tesla ordered to pay $329M in deadly Autopilot crash case: ‘This will open the floodgates'

Core Viewpoint - A Miami jury found Tesla partially responsible for a fatal crash involving its Autopilot technology, ordering the company to pay over $200 million in punitive damages to the victims [1]. Group 1: Legal Outcome - The jury determined that Tesla's technology failed, attributing significant responsibility to the company rather than solely to the distracted driver [1]. - This verdict concludes a four-year legal battle, which is notable as many similar cases against Tesla have either been dismissed or settled out of court [4][11]. - The case included allegations that Tesla concealed or lost critical evidence, which was later uncovered by a forensic data expert [5][7]. Group 2: Company Response - Tesla's legal team criticized the verdict, claiming it undermines automotive safety and jeopardizes the development of life-saving technology, and announced plans to appeal the decision [8][15]. - The company has faced scrutiny for its handling of data in previous crash cases, which it has denied [6]. Group 3: Public Perception and Trust - The verdict raises questions about Tesla's reputation for safety, especially as the company aims to promote its vehicles as safe for autonomous driving [2][9]. - The plaintiffs argued that Tesla's use of the term "Autopilot" misleads consumers about the capabilities of the technology, which does not equate to full self-driving [10][12]. - The case highlighted concerns about Tesla allowing drivers to misuse the Autopilot system, particularly on roads for which it was not designed [14].