US Jury Clears Tesla in Autopilot Crash Lawsuit

Facts

On Friday, a California state court jury ruled that Tesla isn't responsible for a 2019 crash involving its partially automated driving software, Autopilot.¹
The jury awarded Justine Hsu, a resident of Los Angeles, who sued the electric car maker in 2020 — alleging negligence, fraud, and breach of contract — no damages.²
In her lawsuit, she alleged her Tesla Model S turned into a median on a city street on Autopilot, while the car's airbag was released "so violently it fractured Plaintiff’s jaw, knocked out teeth, and caused nerve damage to her face."³
Furthermore, Hsu alleged the car had a defective Autopilot and a faulty airbag and sought $3M in damages from Tesla.⁴
Denying its liability in the crash, Tesla said Hsu used Autopilot on city streets, despite the car's user manual warning against it.⁵
After the verdict, the jurors said that Tesla's Autopilot feature didn't fail to perform safely, noting that "it's not a self-driving car… it's an auto assist" and that it was the driver's responsibility to pay attention to the software's audible and visual warnings.⁶

Narrative A, as provided by New York Times. While Tesla may have escaped accountability in this particular case, it can't deny the reality that there have been dozens of accidents — many deadly — involving its auto-assist system. From the name of the technology to the company's manipulative marketing practices, it's no wonder that so many drivers overestimate it. Tesla must accept some responsibility.
Narrative B, as provided by The Globe and Mail. The verdict is a wake-up call to Tesla owners — these are not self-driving cars, so they can't over-rely on Autopilot. They must always be ready to take complete control as Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving driver assistance features don't make the cars fully autonomous. While anyone can blame Elon Musk for false and misleading assurances, the responsibility for such accidents rests solely on the person behind the wheel.