The Tesla boss has been promising for years that the complete autonomy of Tesla vehicles is just around the corner and he likes to lean (too) far out of the window. Again and again it is criticized that the name autopilot promises more than it can actually keep, since it is only an assistance system. A key issue here is the safety of Tesla occupants, and Elon Musk will soon be taking this to court.
Lawsuit after a fatal car accident
It is about the case of the Apple developer named Walter Huang. His family sued Tesla after his death, and Huang died in a car accident in his Tesla. As the Reuters news agency reports, Musk’s statements about safety and the capabilities of the autopilot play a decisive role. The Tesla boss let his lawyers say that he can’t remember it anymore, his legal representatives said that the billionaire is often the victim of deepfake videos.
According to Huang’s family, Tesla’s software failed, the automaker counters by saying that before the accident, Huang was playing a video game on his phone and ignoring warnings from the vehicle. However, plaintiffs believe that Tesla challenged this, as Musk said in 2016: “A Model S and Model X are more likely to be able to drive autonomously than a human at this point in time. Right now.” But Musk doesn’t want to remember that and doesn’t rule out a forgery either. Unconvinced, however, Judge Evette Pennypacker ordered a limited three-hour hearing during which Musk could be questioned as to whether he actually made the statements. The judge described Tesla’s arguments as “deeply disturbing”.
Pennypacker writes in a statement: “The position (which is attorneys) is that because Mr. Musk is famous and could be a major target for deep fabrication, his public statements are immune.” She added that such arguments would allow Musk and other celebrities “to avoid responsibility for what they actually said and did.”
- Tesla boss promises more than he can keep, must now testify in court.
- Charged with fatal accident dating 2018.
- Elon Musk does not remember his statements about security.
- Judge describes arguments as “deeply disturbing”.
- Judge: Celebrities must not “avoid responsibility”.
See also:
car, electric cars, tesla, electric car, Tesla Motors, e-car, self driving car, autonomous car, traffic, self driving, autopilot, autonomous driving, model 3, tesla model s, tesla model 3, highway
