On April 22, according to Reuters reports, on April 21 local time, a jury in a California court ruled in favor of Tesla, arguing that Tesla’s autopilot function did not have safety problems, and sentenced the plaintiff Justine Hsu to zero. penalty for damages.
While the outcome of the trial is not legally binding on other cases, it could serve as a success story that could help Tesla refine its strategy with other plaintiffs’ attorneys, experts said.
According to previous reports, Los Angeles resident Justine Hsu sued Tesla in 2020, claiming that her Tesla Model S suddenly turned and crashed into the side of the road in the autopilot state, and then an airbag was violently deployed, “so that The plaintiff suffered a broken jaw, knocked out teeth, and nerve damage to her face.” Justine Hsu claims Tesla’s Autopilot and airbag designs are flawed and is seeking more than $3 million in damages.
After Friday’s sentencing, juror Mitchell Vasseur, 63, told Reuters he and the other jurors felt sorry for Xu, but ultimately determined Autopilot was not at fault. “Autopilot has never acknowledged itself as Autopilot, it’s not a self-driving car,” Vasseur said. will not happen. “I personally would never use autopilot,” Vasseur said, “I don’t even use cruise control.”
Jury foreman Olivia Apsher, 31, said the Autopilot system alerted drivers when they were not in adequate control. “This is your car,” she said, “and the vehicle has an audible and visual warning to the driver that the accident is your responsibility.”
Hsu’s lawyer, Donald Slavik, said that while he understood the jury thought his client was inattentive, she was only warned to keep her hands on the wheel less than a second before hitting the curb.
The trial lasted three weeks in Los Angeles Superior Court, with three Tesla engineers testifying.