A federal judge in the United States has denied Tesla's request to nullify a prior jury finding, leaving the electric vehicle company obligated to pay $243 million. In a ruling issued on Friday, District Judge Beth Bloom confirmed the jury's assessment that attributed partial fault to Tesla for a tragic 2019 accident linked to the Autopilot system.
Judge Bloom determined that sufficient proof existed to back the jury's conclusion, reached in August 2025, which required Tesla to provide substantial compensatory and punitive compensation to the two individuals affected. The judge noted that Tesla offered no fresh grounds to challenge the outcome.
Although the legal proceedings have advanced in recent months, the event occurred years earlier, when George McGee, operating a Tesla Model S with Autopilot engaged, leaned over to pick up a fallen cellphone. The vehicle subsequently collided with a stationary SUV positioned on the roadside, beside which Naibel Benavides Leon and Dillon Angulo stood. The impact resulted in Benavides's death and serious harm to Angulo.
Tesla has not issued any official statement regarding Judge Bloom's determination so far, though an appeal to a superior court seems probable. The company's legal team had earlier sought to attribute responsibility to the operator, asserting that neither the Model S nor the Autopilot technology was flawed. Amid this significant litigation, Tesla continues to undergo probes by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems.