Naibel Benavides Was Killed by Tesla's Autopilot — Elon Refused a $60M Settlement, Now Faces $243M Bill

The family of Naibel Benavides has just won a staggering $243 million (£180.15 million) from Tesla, a verdict that comes after the company's CEO, Elon Musk, allegedly refused a $60 million (£44.48 million) settlement.

This shocking outcome has reignited a critical debate about the safety of autonomous vehicles and the accountability of the companies that make them.

A $60M Refusal Leads to a $243M Verdict

Tesla, the electric vehicle company led by billionaire Elon Musk, turned down an offer to settle a lawsuit for $60 million (£44.48 million). The case stemmed from a deadly 2019 crash involving a Model S with Autopilot engaged. The company's refusal led to a trial where a jury ultimately awarded a $243 million (£180.15 million) verdict this month.

The plaintiffs' legal team revealed the rejected settlement offer in a Miami federal court filing on Monday. The disclosure came as part of a request for legal fees from Tesla. According to the lawyers, Florida law allows them to recover the legal costs the plaintiffs have incurred since the settlement was first proposed on 30 May.

The trial centred around a fatal crash that occurred in April 2019. The incident involved a 2019 Model S equipped with the Autopilot driver-assistance system. The Tesla driver hit a parked Chevrolet Tahoe, which the victims were standing next to on the side of the road.

Jury Assigns Blame and Awards $329M

The jury awarded a total of $129 million (£95.64 million) in compensatory damages and an additional $200 million (£148.27 million) in punitive damages to the victims. Naibel Benavides Leon, who died in the crash, and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, who was seriously injured, were the recipients of the payout.

The jury assigned 67% of the blame for the compensatory damages to the driver, though he was not a defendant in the case. Tesla continues to deny any fault, stating that the verdict 'only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardise Tesla's and the entire industry's efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology.'

Moreover, the Musk-led EV giant has consistently argued that the driver, George McGee, was entirely responsible for the crash. In a statement to the BBC, the company labelled the verdict 'wrong' and pledged to appeal the ruling.

Musk's 'Self-Driving Hype' Under Fire

The verdict is a significant blow for both Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, who has consistently presented the company's self-driving technology as vital to its future success. After the news broke, Tesla's shares fell, closing the day nearly 2% lower on the US markets.

After the verdict, the plaintiffs' lawyers stated that Musk had misled the public about what the company's Autopilot driver assistance software was truly capable of.

In a statement to the BBC, attorney Brett Schreiber claimed that 'Tesla designed Autopilot only for controlled-access highways yet deliberately chose not to restrict drivers from using it elsewhere, alongside Musk telling the world Autopilot drove better than humans'.

Schreiber asserted that for years, Tesla and Musk have inflated the company's value with 'self-driving hype at the expense of human lives'. He went on to say that 'Tesla's lies turned our roads into test tracks for their fundamentally flawed technology'.