A judge ruled Tesla still has to pay $243 million for a fatal crash involving Autopilot

A U.S. judge has reaffirmed a substantial $243 million payment against Tesla following a jury's decision that held the electric vehicle manufacturer partially responsible for a deadly 2019 crash involving its Autopilot feature. This ruling, delivered by US District Judge Beth Bloom, rejects Tesla's attempt to overturn the earlier verdict, signaling a significant legal challenge for the company as it faces increasing scrutiny over its advanced driver-assistance systems.

Key takeaways

• A US District Judge upheld a jury's verdict, compelling Tesla to pay $243 million for a fatal 2019 crash involving its Autopilot system.
• The original jury decision in August 2025 found Tesla partially responsible for the incident.
• The crash resulted in one fatality and one severe injury when a Model S on Autopilot collided with a parked SUV.
• Tesla is expected to appeal the latest ruling, indicating the case is likely to continue.
• The company is also currently under several investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerning its Autopilot and Full-Self Driving features.

What happened

The incident central to this case occurred in 2019 when George McGee, the driver of a Tesla Model S, was utilizing the company's Autopilot feature. While Autopilot was engaged, McGee reportedly bent down to retrieve a dropped phone. During this moment, the Model S crashed into an SUV that was parked on a shoulder. Naibel Benavides Leon, who was standing beside the parked vehicle, tragically died in the collision, while Dillon Angulo sustained severe injuries.

In August 2025, a jury delivered a verdict finding Tesla partially responsible for the deadly crash. This decision ordered Tesla to pay millions in both compensatory and punitive damages to the two victims involved. On Friday, February 21, 2026, US District Judge Beth Bloom rejected Tesla's bid to overturn this jury verdict. Judge Bloom stated that there was sufficient evidence to support the jury's original findings and noted that Tesla had not presented any new arguments that would dispute the decision.

Why it matters

This judicial affirmation of the $243 million verdict represents a substantial financial and reputational blow to Tesla. It underscores the potential liabilities faced by manufacturers of advanced driver-assistance systems, particularly as features like Autopilot become more prevalent. The ruling could set a precedent or at least contribute to the growing legal landscape surrounding the responsibility of automakers when their semi-autonomous technologies are implicated in accidents.

For consumers, it highlights ongoing concerns about the safety and operational limitations of