Tesla has recently reached a settlement in a case related to a fatal 2018 car crash. The accident, which involved the controversial Autopilot system, resulted in the death of an Apple engineer.
The unfortunate incident dates back to March 2018, where Walter Huang, an Apple engineer, met an untimely death when his 2017 Model X veered off a highway near San Francisco.
Tesla’s Autopilot system has been the subject of much debate. This driver-assistance technology is designed to steer, accelerate, and brake by itself on open roads, but it cannot completely replace a human driver.
Huang’s family filed a lawsuit against Tesla, alleging that the Autopilot system steered Huang’s car into a highway barrier. The family’s lawyers questioned whether Tesla had adequately educated its customers on the proper use of the Autopilot system.
Tesla, on the other hand, had argued that Huang misused the Autopilot system. The company claimed that Huang was playing a video game moments before the accident.
The recent settlement will help Tesla avoid a prolonged jury trial. The details of the settlement have not been disclosed.
The resolution of this case might bring some relief to Tesla. However, it also brings attention to the several hundred U.S. accidents where Autopilot was a suspected factor.