Tesla recently settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of Walter Huang, an Apple engineer and father of two. The lawsuit stemmed from Huang’s tragic death in 2018 when his Model X SUV, with Autopilot features activated, crashed into a highway barrier near Mountain View, California.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the fatal crash and found that Tesla’s technology was partially to blame for the collision, along with potential driver distraction and issues with road construction. The NTSB discovered that Tesla’s forward collision warning system failed to alert Huang, and the automatic emergency braking system did not engage as his Model X accelerated into the barrier while Autopilot was engaged.
Huang’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla, claiming that the company’s driver assistance systems had safety and design defects. The case, Sz Huang et al v. Tesla Inc. et al, was brought before a California Superior Court in Santa Clara County.
Internal Tesla emails referenced in court filings revealed that Tesla executives and engineers had become complacent while using Autopilot and other premium features. They admitted to reading emails and checking their phones while driving with these systems engaged, raising concerns about the company’s attitudes towards safety.
The settlement allowed Tesla to avoid a public trial and spared the company from potentially damaging evidence and testimonies. Had the case gone to trial, it could have set a precedent in product liability suits, making it easier for other plaintiffs to sue the EV maker on similar grounds.
Tesla’s settlement in the Walter Huang wrongful death lawsuit raises important questions about the safety of its driver assistance systems and the company’s responsibility in ensuring the well-being of its customers. While the specifics of the settlement remain undisclosed, the implications of this case will likely continue to shape public perception of Tesla and its commitment to safety moving forward.
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