Attorneys from Singleton Schreiber LLP are leading a lawsuit against Tesla over a fatal 2019 crash involving Autopilot. They allege the system was dangerously misused and poorly monitored, contributing to the death of Naibel Benavides Leon. The case seeks compensatory and punitive damages for Tesla’s alleged negligence and design flaws.
In a high-stakes federal trial in the Southern District of Florida, attorneys from Singleton Schreiber are leading the legal effort against Tesla over its Autopilot system, which plaintiffs allege played a central role in a fatal 2019 crash. The case involves the death of Naibel Benavides Leon, 22, who was killed when a Tesla Model S, driven by private equity executive George Brian McGee, slammed into a parked SUV on Card Sound Road in Key Largo. McGee, who was distracted while reaching for a dropped phone, admitted during his testimony that he had grown "too comfortable" relying on Tesla's Autopilot system, which he routinely used on his long commute between Boca Raton and Key Largo.
Representing Benavides Leon’s family and her boyfriend, who was seriously injured in the crash, are Brett Schreiber, Satyasrinivas M. Hanumadass, and Carmela S. Birnbaum of Singleton Schreiber LLP. Their legal team is arguing that Tesla’s Autopilot software is dangerously flawed, both in its design and in the way it permits use on roads—like Card Sound Road—that are not suitable for such technology. The attorneys are also emphasizing Tesla’s failure to respond to extensive internal data showing McGee repeatedly misused Autopilot by overriding system shutdowns, a practice known as "strikeouts."
Plaintiffs’ expert witness, a forensic engineer, testified that Tesla had full visibility into McGee’s misuse but did nothing to curtail it. Singleton Schreiber’s team is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, arguing that Tesla's negligence rose to the level of reckless disregard for human life. The trial puts Tesla’s Autopilot system and corporate accountability under intense scrutiny and is expected to continue for two more weeks
