Tesla Settles Lawsuit Over Autopilot Software in Fatal Crash, Avoiding Trial
Tesla has settled a lawsuit that blamed the automaker’s driver-assistance software for the death of a California man in 2018, avoiding a trial that would have put the company’s technology under close scrutiny. The lawsuit stemmed from the death of Wei Lun Huang, an Apple software engineer who went by Walter, after his Tesla Model X crashed into a concrete median barrier in Mountain View, California.
The terms of the settlement with Mr. Huang’s family were not disclosed, and Tesla filed court documents seeking to prevent them from being made public. The trial, which was scheduled to start with jury selection on Monday, would have focused attention on Tesla’s Autopilot software and its autonomous driving technology.
Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, has claimed that the company’s self-driving software will generate significant revenue, with plans to introduce a self-driving taxi, Robotaxi, in August. The settlement comes as Tesla faces scrutiny over the safety and effectiveness of its Autopilot system, which has been criticized for failing to prevent accidents and for requiring drivers to remain attentive and ready to intervene at any moment.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the 2018 crash blamed both Tesla and Mr. Huang, stating that Autopilot had failed to keep the vehicle in its lane and that its collision-avoidance software had failed to detect the highway barrier. The board also suggested that Mr. Huang had likely been distracted at the time of the crash.
Tesla’s settlement of the lawsuit comes as the company faces increasing pressure from regulators and critics to improve the safety and reliability of its driver-assistance technology. Despite the settlement, the debate over the effectiveness of Tesla’s autonomous driving software is likely to continue as the company moves forward with plans to unveil new products and expand its self-driving capabilities.
