A Florida jury ruled Tuesday that Tesla was 1% liable for its negligence in the 2018 Model S crash that killed two people and injured one, paying the plaintiffs $10.5 million. In this case, Tesla was sued for negligently removing a speed limiter on a Model S.
In 2018, Barrett Riley, the son of James Riley, the plaintiff in the case, was driving a Model S at 116 mph (187 kph) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Riley sued Tesla after he lost control of his speed and crashed into the concrete wall of a house, killing him and another passenger in the car.
James Riley’s lawyer said that Barrett’s mother had asked Tesla to install a speed limiter on the Model S to ensure his safety, but Tesla removed the speed limiter two months later. This is a dereliction of duty. Tesla said Barrett tricked Tesla employees into removing the speed limiter when the car was sent for maintenance. This speed limiter keeps the car under 85 mph.
The jury found Tesla negligent in removing the “speed limiter” the Rileys had installed to keep their son from driving too fast. Although the jury found that Barrett Riley was 90% responsible for the accident and his father 9% responsible, the jury awarded Tesla to Barrett’s parents James Riley and Jenny Riley. Li paid $4.5 million and $6 million, respectively.
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