MIAMI – Jury selection got underway Monday in a high-stakes trial involving Tesla and its Autopilot system in Miami federal court.
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Inside the courtroom, several potential jurors shared strong opinions about Elon Musk himself, not just Tesla or its technology.
The judge is working with a group of 40 potential jurors, trying to narrow it down to just 10.
The federal lawsuit stems from a crash that killed 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and seriously injured her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo.
The wreck happened on April 25, 2019 at Card Sound Road and County Road 905.
The two had parked their SUV on the side of the road and were outside at the time, the lawsuit claims, when a Tesla driver, using Autopilot, slammed into them at more than 60 miles per hour after plowing through a caution light and stop sign. The crash ultimately killed Benavides Leon and injured Angulo.
After the crash, the Tesla driver claimed “he dropped (his) phone and bent down to retrieve it from the floorboard” at the time of the collision, the lawsuit states.
Their families argue Tesla’s Autopilot system failed to prevent the crash and that the company deceptively marketed the Autopilot as being more powerful and comprehensive than it was.
Tesla insists the driver was at fault, according to the New York Times. The publication reports that Tesla attorneys pointed to data showing that the driver’s foot was on the gas pedal at the time, overriding the system.
“The evidence clearly shows that this crash had nothing to do with Tesla’s Autopilot technology,” Tesla said in a statement to the outlet. “Instead, like so many unfortunate accidents since cellphones were invented, this was caused by a distracted driver.”
Angulo, along with Benavides Leon’s family members, were at the courthouse Monday.
If a jury is seated by then, opening statements could begin as early as Monday afternoon.
Read the lawsuit:
