In Washington, DC, a man is suing Tesla for unspecified damages for liability, negligence, and breach of warranty.
The suit alleges that a Tesla Model S was coming off a freeway with Autopilot engaged. The vehicle failed to make a turn on the off-ramp. Then Model S ran off the road and crashed into a tree.
Christopher Hinze, the driver, suffered a shattered and fractured vertebrae and chest pain from the June 20, 2020 incident. The resulting surgeries included a spinal fusion surgery and weeks of recovery time in the hospital.
According to the suit
Based on Tesla’s representations regarding the Autopilot feature and its performance during the journey so far, (Hinze) reasonably expected that the vehicle would be able to successfully navigate the transition road between the two freeways and proceed with the trip.
The suit continues to state:
While fully autonomous driving may still be aspirational, Tesla designs, manufactures, and markets features on the Model S as technologically-advanced, if interim, steps on the road to fully computerized driving. The dark side of the system, however, is that Tesla’s Autopilot system is at best a work in progress and it has a history of dangerous and even fatal consequences for its users.
Tesla did not respond to the suit, nor has the case been tested in court yet.
Elon Musk won’t have to testify in Tesla Autopilot death lawsuit
Source: Mercury News
