Brett Schreiber, Partner at Singleton Schreiber, was recently featured in NBC News in an article titled “Tesla hit with $243 million in damages after jury finds its Autopilot feature contributed to fatal crash.” In the article, Schreiber represented the family of Naibel Benavides Leon and Dillon Angulo, arguing that Tesla’s Autopilot system created a false sense of security and contributed to the fatal 2019 crash. The jury found Tesla partially liable and awarded a total of $243 million in damages, including $200 million in punitive damages.
In his closing arguments, Schreiber directly criticized Elon Musk, stating, “It is Tesla’s CEO who created an expectation among consumers that Autopilot can perform beyond its limitations.” He emphasized that the plaintiffs were unknowingly subjected to “a beta test they never signed up for.” The verdict marks a significant public reckoning for Tesla’s driver-assistance technology and its marketing.
