New York City, New York: Tesla Autopilot Lawsuits Results

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Is a Recognized Super Lawyer with Decades of Experience Standing Up to the Automotive Industry. If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured Due to a Tesla Autopilot Defect, Error, Glitch, or Other Problem, The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Secure the Compensation You Need and the Justice You Deserve.

Autopilot was supposed to usher in a new era.

Even in its earliest iterations, Autopilot was impressive. Using a complex array of cameras, sensors, and computer processors, Autopilot made hands-free driving possible. In the years since its release, Tesla has only expanded Autopilot’s capabilities.

Although Autopilot is obviously an advanced system, even Tesla admits that it has serious shortcomings. Autopilot, for instance, is not actually a self-driving technology. Instead, it is categorized as a form of driver-assistance software. In other words, an Autopilot-equipped car cannot really drive itself. Instead, it needs a human ready to take the wheel at a moment’s notice.

Autopilot’s limitations have real-world consequences. According to a Guardian analysis, customers reported more than 3,000 Autopilot-related concerns to Tesla between 2015 and 2022. These concerns included reports of “phantom braking” and unintended acceleration. In total, Autopilot has been identified as a potential contributing factor in more than 1,000 documented motor vehicle collisions.

Tesla has long sought to insulate itself from Autopilot injury lawsuits, saying that drivers should bear responsibility for the costs of an accident. For years, this simple strategy proved wildly successful. Time and time again, Tesla managed to overcome high-stakes personal injury lawsuits by convincing judges and juries to pin the blame for bad software solely on drivers.

However, a recent series of court rulings Tesla’s winning streak could be coming to an end.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by Tesla autopilot, you could be entitled to significant compensation. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping New Yorkers assert their rights to a fair recovery. Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to an Autopilot injury lawyer near NYC and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

You should not have to pay for an accident that was not your fault.

Under New York law, accident victims have a right to file a claim for compensation against the person or party who caused their injury. If an Autopilot defect, glitch, or error contributed to your collision, you may be able to take legal action. In order to sue, you must typically establish the following:

1. You have been involved in an accident with a Tesla;
2. The Tesla had Autopilot active at the time of the crash;
3. An Autopilot defect caused or contributed to the collision;
4. You have sustained a serious injury and other damages as a result.

You may be able to file a lawsuit even if you were partly at fault for the accident.

Tesla is notorious for refusing to settle Autopilot-related lawsuits.

Time and time again, Tesla has sought to limit its liability for Autopilot by redirecting blame onto drivers. Tesla’s lawyers would tell the court that drivers are not supposed to use Autopilot unless they can safely regain control of the vehicle at a moment’s notice. If a driver does not have enough time to take the wheel, the argument goes, it is likely because they were too distracted to notice an impending hazard.

Tesla’s strategy in Autopilot lawsuits is deceptively simple. By blaming accidents solely on driver negligence, Tesla can minimize its liability for obvious defects. Instead of having to take responsibility for Autopilot’s well-documented hazards like unintended acceleration and phantom braking, Tesla can simply say that, if the driver had been paying closer attention, they would have been able to press the brakes sooner.

Even though Tesla’s logic may seem patently unfair to accident victims, it was once widely accepted by courts throughout the country. However, a recent series of legal actions indicates that the tide may be turning against Tesla and that judges and juries are no longer as willing to accept misdirection in place of fair compensation. Here is what you need to know about two critical cases:

Tesla knows that settling even a single Autopilot claim could open the floodgates for future litigation. So, instead of negotiating in good faith, Tesla will often refuse to enter into talks altogether. Even though going to trial presents its own risks, Tesla has spent a lot of time in court over Autopilot; it is not intimidated by the prospect of going before a judge and jury, and it is not afraid of racking up massive legal bills, either.

However, Tesla’s resolve may have broken.

In September 2025, Tesla took the near-unprecedented step of agreeing to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Jovani Moldonado, a 15-year-old boy who was killed after a Tesla Model S using Autopilot rear-ended the pick-up truck he was riding in with his father.

The terms of the settlement are confidential, but legal analysts believe that Tesla decided to settle after a Florida-based federal jury ruled against the company in another Autopilot-related lawsuit.

The Florida lawsuit centers on an April 25, 2019, collision that occurred in Key Largo.

A man in a Tesla Model S was driving through an intersection when he dropped his phone. The driver had already activated Autopilot and believed it would keep him safe as he drove through the crossroad. Before he could find his phone, though, he struck an SUV.

One of the two passengers inside the SUV, a 22-year-old woman, died. The other occupant, her boyfriend, survived but was seriously injured.

A Florida-based federal jury ultimately awarded the woman’s family more than $240 million.

Tesla later appealed the verdict, again arguing that it cannot be expected to “insure the world against harms caused by reckless drivers.”

The court disagreed.

In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom found that the evidence presented by the plaintiffs at trial “more than support[ed]” the family’s allegations.

You do not have to take on Tesla alone.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping our clients throughout New York stand up to some of the country’s biggest and most powerful companies. We know what it takes to build a compelling, evidence-based case for compensation, and we have the results to prove it. Since our founding in 2005, we have secured more than $300 million in damages money that our clients have used to eliminate medical debt, seek superior health care, and begin rebuilding in the wake of a life-altering accident.

We could help you, too.

Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a Tesla Autopilot injury lawyer near New York City and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in New York City, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!