Tesla has settled a lawsuit brought by the family of a Model X owner who was killed while using the company’s Autopilot feature. The terms of the settlement were not made public, averting a high-stakes trial involving Elon Musk’s electric carmaker, which has faced criticism for its self-driving technology. The lawsuit was brought by the family of former Apple engineer Walter Huang, who died in a crash in Silicon Valley in 2018. Huang’s widow and children sued Tesla for wrongful death, alleging that his car swerved out of a highway travel lane and crashed because the automated driving features were defective.
Jury selection was scheduled to begin in California state court years after Huang’s fatal crash. The lawsuit claimed that Huang trusted Tesla’s claims that its cars were safer than human-operated vehicles due to their advanced autopilot features, but the car allegedly lacked effective anti-collision systems. The National Transportation Safety Board investigation found that the Model X veered toward the barrier due to “system limitations” and wasn’t designed to detect the obstacle. However, Huang was likely distracted by a cell phone game and unable to take corrective action, which should have been detected by the car’s system. Tesla has argued that the crash was caused by Huang’s misuse of the Autopilot features, reiterating that drivers need to pay attention and that assistive technology does not mean the cars fully drive themselves.
Tesla has faced scrutiny over the safety of its Autopilot feature, with hundreds of reported crashes, including some fatal accidents. The company has been accused of making misleading safety claims to investors, with the Securities and Exchange Commission reportedly investigating the matter. Tesla has long maintained that its cars are not fully autonomous and drivers must remain fully attentive while using the assistive driving technology. However, some critics believe that Tesla owners have become too reliant on Autopilot, leading to dangerous situations on the road. Last year, Tesla recalled 2 million vehicles to update their software and provide clearer reminders for drivers to pay attention.
In a separate development, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced plans to unveil the company’s long-anticipated “robotaxi” in August. The billionaire tech mogul has also accused Reuters of spreading misinformation about Tesla shelving plans for a low-cost electric vehicle to focus on robotaxis. As Musk’s net worth is estimated at $193.8 million, he ranks as the world’s third-richest person, behind Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and LVMH’s Bernard Arnault. Musk and Bezos have been vying for the title of the richest person on earth and in America, with fluctuations in Tesla’s share price impacting their standings on the wealth rankings.
