Includes Punitive Damages... "Sufficient Evidence, New Trial Unnecessary"
A US federal court upheld the jury verdict in a death accident related to Tesla Autopilot driver assistance system. The Southern District of Florida federal court on February 19, 2026 (local time) rejected both Tesla "Renewed Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law" and "New Trial Request" -- maintaining the approximately $242.57 million damage verdict. Incident: April 25, 2019 in Key Largo, Florida. A 2019 Tesla Model S in Autopilot mode collided with a stopped Chevrolet Tahoe on the roadside; the impact hit two nearby pedestrians. Naibel Benavides Leon died at the scene; Dylan Angulo sustained serious injuries. Family and victim side sued Tesla claiming design defects and warning obligation violations. Two core issues: (1) Whether Autopilot system had design defects that failed to respond appropriately in dangerous situations despite requiring continuous driver attention; (2) Whether sufficient warnings about system limitations and dangers were provided to users. The jury allocated 33% of responsibility to Tesla and calculated total damages of $242.57 million -- $200 million in punitive damages, remainder in compensatory damages. Tesla argued punitive damages were excessive and some evidence admission was biased, but the court found "no new legal errors or evidence to overturn the verdict." Significance: one of the largest Autopilot-related civil verdicts and among the first where punitive damages were upheld -- establishing that courts are willing to find Tesla liable not just for individual accident causation but for systemic failures in warning users about system limitations.
