E-car pioneer and maker of the full self-driving autopilot Tesla is preparing for its first death-related trial.
Tesla will have to defend himself in court for the first time against allegations that autopilot failure resulted in death. This is quite likely to be a major test of the Tesla system. There have been a few deaths in connection with the autopilot system, which Tesla regularly claims to be almost completely autonomous explained, but never reached it. That’s how it was communicated and that led to a wrong understandingwhat the cars make possible.
The ability to drive autonomously is critical to Tesla’s financial future, according to Musk, whose own reputation as a technology leader is being challenged by allegations in one of two lawsuits. Successes from Tesla could boost confidence in the software and boost sales, which can cost as much as $15,000 per vehicle.
Tesla faces two back-to-back lawsuits, with more on the horizon. The first trial, scheduled for mid-September in a California court, is a civil one. The allegation is that the Tesla Model 3’s autopilot system caused the death of driver Micah Lee. His car suddenly went off the highway at 105 kilometers per hour, crashed into a palm tree and burst into flames. The process took seconds.
The 2019 accident killed Lee and seriously injured his two passengers. Among them was an 8-year-old boy. The lawsuit, filed by Lee’s passengers and survivors, alleges that Tesla knew Autopilot and other safety systems were faulty when the car was sold.
The second trial, set to take place in a Florida court in early October, stemmed from a 2019 accident north of Miami. Stephen Banner drove his Tesla Model 3 under the trailer of an 18-wheel truck. The accident tore off the Tesla’s roof and the driver was killed. The autopilot failed to take any action to prevent the accident. Banner’s wife filed the lawsuit.
Tesla denied liability for both accidents, blaming driver error and stating that Autopilot is safe when monitored by humans. In court documents, Tesla explained that drivers must keep their eyes on the road and keep their hands on the wheel. Despite all Advertising, Tesla now explained that there are no autonomous vehicles on the road.
Observers hope the processes will provide new insights into what Musk and other company officials knew about the capabilities of the autopilot. For example, Banner’s attorneys argue in a pre-court filing that internal emails show Musk led the Autopilot team.
Tesla won a landmark lawsuit in Los Angeles in April with a strategy to claim it alerts drivers that its technology requires human supervision. Even if using names like “Autopilot” and “FullSelf Driving”. It was about a Model S that swerved and injured the driver.
The pending court cases are about the death of two people. Is there a comparison, will the findings scratch Tesla’s reputation? The question of the sensors should also arise, since Tesla does not use a lidar. The radar hadn’t been used for a long time either, people wanted to rely entirely on cameras. Musk even admitted in 2016 that radar would bring more security.
Tesla will classify many documents as trade secrets. It may also be interesting to see whether the court follows suit.