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Investing.com -- A Miami federal jury ordered Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) to pay $329 million to victims of a deadly crash involving its Autopilot driver assist technology on Friday.
The verdict marks the end of a four-year legal battle and could potentially open the door to other costly lawsuits against the electric vehicle manufacturer. It may also impact Tesla’s safety reputation at a critical time for the company.
The jury determined that Tesla bore significant responsibility because its technology failed, rejecting the argument that all blame should fall on the driver. The driver had admitted to being distracted by his cell phone before hitting a young couple who were stargazing.
This case stands out not only for its outcome but also because it proceeded to trial. Many similar cases against Tesla have been dismissed, and when cases weren’t thrown out, the company typically settled to avoid trial publicity.
The decision comes at a sensitive time for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is working to convince Americans that Tesla vehicles are safe enough to operate autonomously, as Musk plans to launch a driverless taxi service in more cities in the coming months.
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