Tesla (TSLA) trial concerning an autopilot death begins in California

The first U.S. trial over allegations that Tesla's (NASDAQ: TSLA) Full Self-Driving (FSD) autopilot technology factored into to the death of a Tesla driver in a fatal accident. The outcome of this trial has the potential to establish important legal precedents for similar cases nationwide.

Taking place in a California state court, this trial is the result of a civil lawsuit alleging that the Autopilot system was responsible for causing Micah Lee's Model 3 to abruptly deviate from a highway just east of Los Angeles, reaching a speed of 65 miles per hour, colliding with a palm tree, and igniting in a matter of seconds.

The 2019 incident killed Lee and seriously injured his two passengers, one of which was an 8yr old boy. The lawsuit, filed against Tesla by Lee’s estate as well as the passengers, alleges that the automaker knew that Autopilot and other safety systems were defective when the company sold the vehicle.

Tesla has denied any responsibility for the incident, arguing that Lee had consumed alcohol before operating the vehicle. Additionally, the electric vehicle manufacturer claims that it remains uncertain whether Autopilot was actively engaged at the moment of the collision.

Tesla won a previous trial back in April, claiming the company is absolved of responsibility due to a disclosure that its technology requires human monitoring, despite the "Autopilot" name.

The case revolved around a 2019 incident in which a Model S veered into a curb, resulting in the driver's injury. Following the verdict, jurors revealed that they agreed that Tesla had alerted drivers to the system's requirements and attributed the accident to driver distraction.

The trial taking place this week carries greater significance due to the tragic loss of lives involved. In the lead-up to the trial, Tesla and the plaintiff attorneys engaged in legal sparring over the admissibility of evidence and the scope of arguments they could present.

Tesla argued that statements made by CEO Elon Musk concerning the autopilot tech should be excluded, while attorneys for the prosecution argued Lee’s blood alcohol level was below the legal limit, according to court filings.

The trial is being held in Riverside County and is expected to continue for several weeks.

Shares of TSLA are up 1.92% in mid-day trading Thursday.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]

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