Tesla Settles Lawsuit Over Fatal Autopilot Crash
Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has reached an agreement to resolve a lawsuit over a fatal accident involving one of its semi-automatic vehicles in the United States in 2018. The agreement was reached with the family of Walter Huang, a 38-year-old Apple engineer who died in the crash on a California highway.
The lawsuit alleged that Huang was using Tesla’s Autopilot system at the time of the accident and did not have his hands on the wheel in the seconds leading up to the collision. Tesla has faced several lawsuits related to its Autopilot technology, but this settlement marks the first time the company has reached an agreement.
According to court documents, Huang’s vehicle swerved from a faded lane line before colliding with a highway safety barrier at a speed of 114 kilometers per hour (71 miles per hour). A National Transportation Safety Board investigation cited Tesla’s failure to limit the use of Autopilot in certain conditions as a contributing factor to the accident.
While the details of the settlement were not disclosed, this agreement comes just one day before the trial was set to begin. The tragic incident has raised concerns about the safety and limitations of autonomous driving technology, particularly in cases where clear lane markings are not present.
Tesla has acknowledged that Autopilot is designed for areas with clear lane markings, and the company continues to face scrutiny over the safety of its semi-automated driving features.
The settlement highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the regulation and implementation of autonomous driving technology, as companies like Tesla continue to push the boundaries of innovation in the automotive industry.