Brett Schreiber, founding partner of Singleton Schreiber in San Diego, was recently featured by the San Francisco Chronicle in their article, "Lawsuit Blaming Tesla Autopilot Hype for Deadly East Bay Crash Takes Key Step," which was published on March 27th, 2025.
The article covers how Alameda County Superior Court Judge Rebekah Everson ruled that a jury will decide upon a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla, Inc. over whether Tesla misrepresented its Autopilot feature in a 2019 crash that killed 15-year-old Jovani Maldonado as well as ruling whether to impose punitive damages against Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
The SF Chronicle also summarizes the background of the case, including that Tesla driver Romeo Lagman Yalung had activated his vehicle's Autopilot based on Tesla's claim that the software was "safer than a human driver" and had driven the vehicle without his hands on the wheel; the plaintiff's allegation that Tesla's Autopilot system continued to travel at 70 mph even as it approached traffic; Judge Everson rejecting Tesla's argument that its statements were not made directly to the family and thus could not be grounds for misrepresentation; and how Tesla has not publicly responded to the ruling.
"We look forward to presenting evidence at trial that will demonstrate to the jury the merits of our claims and hold Tesla accountable for this tragedy," said Mr. Schreiber in a statement who added that, "[Judge] Everson’s ruling represents “unprecedented legal exposure” for the company."
The case is Escudero et al. vs. Tesla Inc. et al. case number RG21090128, in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda.
