A $20 million wrongful death claim against SpaceX‘s was dismissed yesterday. A judge said the company was not responsible for the fatal crash between an 18-wheeler and a passenger vehicle.
The accident happened in July 2020 near SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility.
Carlos Venegas and his wife and three children slammed into the back of the 18-wheeler who was idling on the highway. The 18-wheeler was trying to turn on to SpaceX’s access road, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Carlos was killed in the accident, his wife and three children were injured.
According to the complaint, the 18-wheeler was partially blocking the darkened highway.
The lawsuit alleged that SpaceX skimped on safety in its rush to develop commercial rockets. It claimed that SpaceX should have widened the access road, installed safety lighting and implemented warning systems.
SpaceX argued that it didn’t owe a duty of care as the accident happened off company property and it did not involve any SpaceX employees.
The court’s decision was based on a longstanding Texas legal precedent. The precedent protects property owners from damage and injury claims arising from accidents on nearby roadways.
SpaceX did not provide a comment on the court case.
