Judge upholds $243M verdict against Tesla in Autopilot crash that killed woman

Core Viewpoint - A federal judge upheld a $243 million jury verdict against Tesla related to a fatal crash involving its Autopilot system, indicating that the evidence supported the jury's decision and Tesla failed to present new arguments for overturning the verdict [1][4]. Group 1: Legal Outcome - The jury found Tesla 33% responsible for the crash that occurred on April 25, 2019, resulting in compensatory damages of $19.5 million awarded to the estate of the deceased and $23.1 million to the injured party, along with $200 million in punitive damages [5]. - This verdict marks the first federal jury decision regarding a fatal accident involving Tesla's Autopilot technology [5]. Group 2: Tesla's Position - Tesla contends that the driver, George McGee, should bear sole responsibility for the crash, asserting that the Model S was not defective and that the verdict was illogical [6][9]. - The company argues that automakers should not be held liable for damages caused by reckless drivers and claims that the punitive damages awarded should be zero, as it did not show "reckless disregard for human life" under Florida law [7]. Group 3: Future Actions - Tesla, led by Elon Musk, is expected to appeal the decision, although its legal team did not provide immediate comments on the matter [2][9].