A federal judge has rejected Tesla’s bid to overturn a $243 million jury verdict over a fatal 2019 Autopilot crash in Florida, dealing a significant blow to the automaker’s legal strategy as it faces a growing wave of lawsuits tied to its driver-assistance technology.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami ruled that the evidence at trial “more than supported” the verdict and that Tesla raised no new arguments to justify setting it aside. The ruling, made public on Friday, means Tesla’s last hope to avoid paying the massive judgment at the trial court level has been exhausted.
The crash and the verdict
The case stems from a deadly 2019 collision in Key Largo, Florida. George McGee was driving his Tesla Model S with Autopilot engaged when he dropped his phone and bent down to retrieve it. The vehicle blew through a stop sign and a flashing red light at approximately 62 mph, slamming into a parked Chevrolet Tahoe.
The crash killed 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and severely injured her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, who was 26 at the time.
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In August 2025, a Miami federal jury found Tesla liable for the crash, assigning 33% of the blame to the automaker. The jury awarded $43 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages — the first major plaintiff victory against Tesla in an Autopilot-related wrongful death case.
Tesla had rejected a $60 million settlement offer before the trial. That decision cost the company dearly.
Tesla’s failed arguments
In August 2025, Tesla’s lawyers filed a 71-page motion asking the court to throw out the verdict or grant a new trial. The company argued the verdict “flies in the face of basic Florida tort law, the Due Process Clause, and common sense.” Tesla also claimed that references to CEO Elon Musk’s statements about Autopilot during the trial misled the jury.
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