Autonomous Vehicle Data Retrieved by Tesla Hacker Following Fatal 243 Million USD Autopilot Accident
In a groundbreaking decision, a jury in Florida has handed down a verdict of $243 million against Tesla, marking one of the biggest legal setbacks yet involving the company's Autopilot system.
The case stemmed from a tragic collision in Key Largo, Florida, where a Tesla Model S, with Autopilot engaged, plowed into a young couple standing near their parked truck. The crash resulted in the death of 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and severe injuries to her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo.
Tesla reportedly attempted to settle the case privately before the trial, offering a confidential settlement. However, the plaintiffs' attorneys approached a well-known Tesla firmware hacker and data miner, known by the handle "@greentheonly," after years of unsuccessful attempts to obtain the data from Tesla.
@greentheonly, working out of a Starbucks near Miami International Airport, successfully extracted critical crash data from the vehicle's Autopilot control unit. His findings confirmed that Tesla had received the crash snapshot within moments of the wreck. The recovered data showed that the Tesla Model S detected the pedestrians but plotted a path directly through them.
The information should have been accessible all along, according to @greentheonly's findings. This discovery ultimately turned the tide in court, leading to a verdict that holds Tesla responsible for $42.6 million in compensatory damages and the entire punitive award, totalling $243 million.
The jury assigned 33% liability to Tesla, awarding $129 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages. The verdict highlights the role crash data can play in lawsuits involving Autopilot.
As other Autopilot-related cases move toward trial, the intervention of @greentheonly underscores the importance of transparency around Tesla's Autopilot system. The verdict sets a precedent for how juries view Tesla's handling of evidence, potentially leading to increased scrutiny in future cases.
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