Tesla Settles Lawsuits in Fatal Autopilot Crashes Amid Robotaxi Expansion

Tesla has reached confidential settlements in two lawsuits concerning fatal crashes in California in 2019, both involving the company's Autopilot driver assistance software, according to court documents. These settlements were made weeks after a Florida jury awarded $243 million in damages to victims of another 2019 crash involving a Model S with Autopilot engaged.

In response to the Florida verdict, Tesla engaged new notable legal representation, seeking to overturn the verdict or secure a retrial. Despite settling various lawsuits involving its self-driving technology, Tesla rejected a $60 million settlement offer for the Florida case, revealed in a recent filing.

The settlements come as Tesla's $1.4 trillion valuation heavily relies on the promises of rapid expansion in its self-driving technology, particularly its Full Self-Driving software. The cases, scheduled for trial next month, have seen legal developments as Tesla and plaintiffs withdrew their petitions, with one California judge vacating a scheduled trial.