A federal judge has rejected Tesla’s attempt to undo the $242.57 million judgment tied to a fatal 2019 Florida crash involving a Model S with Autopilot. The February 20, 2026, ruling leaves the district court’s judgment in place; it does not determine the outcome of any appeal.
What the judge decided
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom denied Tesla’s amended renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law or, alternatively, for a new trial or amended judgment in Benavides v. Tesla, Inc. The court’s final judgment remains $242.57 million, often rounded to $243 million in headlines. The court order, entered February 20, 2026, addresses Tesla’s post-trial request, not the status or outcome of an appeal.
How the 2019 crash led to the lawsuit
On April 25, 2019, a 2019 Tesla Model S owned by George McGee struck a parked Chevrolet Tahoe in Key Largo, Florida. The Tahoe then hit pedestrians Naibel Benavides Leon and Dillon Angulo. Benavides Leon died, and Angulo was significantly injured. The Model S had automatic driving features, including Tesla’s Autopilot.
The plaintiffs alleged defective design, failure to warn, defective manufacture, and negligent misrepresentation. Before trial, the court dismissed the manufacturing and negligent-misrepresentation claims. The design and warning claims, along with a request for punitive damages, proceeded to the jury.
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What the jury awarded—and what Tesla’s judgment includes
The figures refer to different stages of the calculation. The jury’s $129 million compensatory award was the total before the responsibility allocation. Because the jury assigned 33% responsibility to Tesla and 67% to the driver, the court entered $42.57 million in compensatory damages against Tesla, plus $200 million in punitive damages.
| Amount | What it represents |
|---|---|
| $129 million | Total jury compensatory award before apportionment, as reported by Tesla in its 2025 Form 10-K filed in 2026. |
| $42.57 million | Tesla’s compensatory judgment after apportionment: $19.47 million to Benavides Leon’s estate and $23.1 million to Angulo, according to the court order. |
| $200 million | Punitive damages awarded to the plaintiffs, according to the court order and Tesla’s 2025 Form 10-K. |
| $242.57 million | Total final judgment entered by the court on August 3, 2025: $42.57 million in apportioned compensatory damages plus $200 million in punitive damages. |
The court order notes that the verdict form listed $59 million in compensatory damages for the estate and $70 million for Angulo. Those amounts were reduced in the judgment based on the jury’s finding that Tesla was 33% responsible. Calling $129 million Tesla’s compensatory judgment would therefore conflate the jury’s gross award with the amount entered against Tesla.
Why Tesla asked the court to intervene
Tesla challenged whether the evidence supported liability and the design and failure-to-warn findings. It also contested punitive damages, sought a reduction in compensatory damages, and argued that evidence—including vehicle data, Elon Musk’s statements, and other accidents—should not have been admitted. These were Tesla’s arguments as described by the court, not findings that the evidence was improperly handled.
Why Judge Bloom denied the motion
Judge Bloom said Tesla’s grounds were virtually the same as arguments it had made during trial and summary-judgment briefing. The court concluded that Tesla had not supplied an additional argument or controlling law that justified changing its earlier decisions or the jury’s verdict. The order states: “Furthermore, Tesla does not present additional arguments or controlling law that persuades this Court to alter its earlier decisions or the jury verdict.”
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Key dates in the case
- April 25, 2019: The crash occurred in Key Largo, Florida.
- June 26, 2025: The court allowed the defective-design and failure-to-warn claims, and punitive damages, to proceed; it dismissed the other claims.
- August 1, 2025: The jury returned its verdict, including the responsibility split and damage awards reported in Tesla’s 2025 Form 10-K filed in 2026.
- August 3, 2025: The court entered the $242.57 million final judgment.
- September 15, 2025: Tesla filed its post-trial motion, according to the company’s Form 10-K.
- February 20, 2026: Judge Bloom denied Tesla’s amended renewed motion.
What the ruling means for the case
The district court’s denial leaves its $242.57 million judgment intact. It is a post-trial ruling by the trial court, not a decision about whether an appellate court will review or change the judgment. The sources available for this update do not establish the case’s subsequent appellate status.
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