Tesla just learned the hard way that sometimes “saving money” ends up costing way more. Months before a Miami jury slammed the automaker with a $242.5 million verdict, Tesla had the option to quietly settle for $60 million. But instead of taking that deal, they rolled the dice—and lost big.
Here’s the backstory: the case stems from a tragic 2019 crash involving a Tesla Model S running on Autopilot. The car blew through an intersection, slammed into a Chevy Tahoe, and struck two people standing on the roadside. One of them, Neima Benavides Leon, sadly lost her life. Her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, survived but was left with serious injuries.
The lawsuit wasn’t about the driver this time—he’s facing a separate case. Instead, it focused on Tesla’s Autopilot system, which failed to brake in time. The jury ultimately split the blame: two-thirds on the driver, one-third on Tesla. Even with that division, the damages hit Tesla hard, landing at nearly a quarter of a billion dollars.
Now, Tesla says it plans to appeal the ruling, citing “errors of law and irregularities at trial.” Translation: this legal fight is far from over.
What makes it even more dramatic? The fact that Tesla could’ve closed this chapter for a fraction of the cost just a few months ago. It’s the classic “penny wise, pound foolish” moment, except here the pennies were $60M and the pounds turned into $242.5M.
This case (filed back in 2021, case number 1:21-cv-21940-BB) is just the latest reminder of how Autopilot remains Tesla’s most hyped yet most legally explosive feature.
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