Tesla Inc. TSLA has concluded a high-profile legal dispute surrounding a tragic crash linked to its Autopilot feature and the untimely passing of an Apple Inc. AAPL engineer, just moments before the trial’s commencement.
Unveiling the Incident: The lawsuit, which reached its resolution on Monday, revolved around the demise of Walter Huang, an Apple engineer who lost his life in a crash while utilizing Tesla’s Autopilot system in 2018, as per a report by The Verge. Notably, the specific terms of the settlement remain undisclosed in the court documents brought to light in San Jose, California.
At the heart of the matter was Huang, whose Model X careened off the highway and collided with a roadside barrier, hurtling at a speed of 71 miles per hour. Investigations conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board indicated that Huang likely became distracted by a video game app on his mobile device, shedding light on the “limitations” of the Autopilot system.
Caught in the Crosshairs: Elon Musk’s EV enterprise was rumored to attempt to embroil Apple in the trial by serving a subpoena to the tech giant. Reports over the weekend hinted at Tesla’s efforts to procure evidence suggesting Apple’s prior knowledge of Huang engaging in the game. However, Cupertino consistently rebuffed or suppressed this subpoena.
While this legal saga heads towards closure, Tesla’s Autopilot technology has come under heightened regulatory scrutiny due to safety concerns and the software’s marketing as Full Self-Driving.
In a related lawsuit concerning a 2019 incident, Tesla engineers testified that the system had not been adjusted to address cross-traffic following a previous collision in 2016. This incident involved a Tesla Model S driver named Joshua Brown, who crashed into a truck in Florida, resulting in his tragic passing. The 2019 legal action was initiated by the family of Jeremy Banner, who tragically lost his life while driving a 2019 Model 3.