The widow and daughter of a 44-year-old Japanese man recently filed suit against Tesla, Inc. after one of the company’s Model X cars operating on “Autopilot” crashed into a group of people and vehicles on the side of an expressway near Tokyo, Japan, killing the man. According to the Complaint, the driver of the Tesla, who as relying on the Autopilot system, had dozed off shortly before the crash. When a vehicle ahead changed lanes to avoid the people and vehicles on the side of the road, the Model X failed to detect the group on the side of the road, accelerated, and ran directly into them.
This is not the first time Tesla’s “Autopilot” system has failed and caused serious injury or death. In March 2018, an Apple engineer was killed when the Autopilot system drove his Model X directly into a concrete highway barrier while the man was on his way to work. A Florida man was also killed in May 2019 after the Autopilot system failed to recognize a large tractor-trailer crossing into the car’s lane of traffic. The tractor trailer tore the roof of the Tesla and the car kept driving another 1,600 feet before finally stopping.
Surprisingly, Tesla has attempted to blame the driver in these circumstances, even though the company advertises and sells its Autopilot system as including “Full Self-Driving Capability” and the Autopilot system clearly made a dangerous or faulty choice resulting in serious injury or death.
The attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner have been fighting for the rights of people injured by defective products for decades. If you or someone you know has been injured because defective automated driving systems or by any product defect, contact the experienced attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner at (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211.