Tesla settles wrongful death lawsuit over 2018 Florida crash

The electric vehicle manufacturer reached an agreement days before trial over a high-speed collision that killed two teenagers.

Tesla has settled a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a 2018 crash in Florida that killed two teenagers, one of whom was a passenger in a 2014 Tesla Model S sedan, according to court records.¹²

A trial had been scheduled to begin on Tuesday in Florida state court in Fort Lauderdale, but Tesla was removed as a defendant in a court order issued on Sunday.¹² Lawyers for the plaintiff indicated in a filing last week that the claim against Tesla had been resolved, though the settlement terms were not disclosed.¹² A court official confirmed the case settled on Monday.¹²

The lawsuit centered on allegations that a Tesla technician disabled speed-limiting software on the vehicle without the knowledge of the driver's parents, according to court records.¹² The software had previously prevented the car from exceeding 137 kilometers per hour.¹²

Tesla denied wrongdoing and argued that the driver's operation of the vehicle caused the crash regardless of whether a speed limiter was in place.¹² The company characterized the driving as reckless.¹² Lawyers for the driver's estate also denied the plaintiff's claims.¹²

The driver's estate remains a defendant in the lawsuit.¹² Neither Tesla and its legal representatives nor attorneys for the plaintiff and the driver's family responded to requests for comment.¹²