Tesla ordered to pay $200 million in punitive damages over fatal 2019 car crash

Trial set for Florida Keys wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla

Trial set for Florida Keys wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla

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Tesla was found partly liable in a wrongful death case involving the electric vehicle company’s Autopilot system, with a jury awarding the plaintiffs $200 million in punitive damages.

The case, which took place in a Miami courtroom over the last several weeks, centered on whether defects in Tesla’s self-driving technology ultimately contributed to the death of 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon in 2019.

Leon was killed when a man driving a Model S Tesla equipped with Tesla’s Autopilot technology plowed through a T-intersection and struck her and her boyfriend Dillon Angulo. 

Angulo survived but was gravely injured.

The plaintiffs in the case originally asked for $345 million in damages during closing arguments on Thursday.

—This is a developing story and will be updated.

Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. Before joining the business and finance vertical, she worked at “60 Minutes,” CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program.

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