Florida Tesla Autopilot Crash Lawyer

“How many more lives need to be lost? How many more loved ones need to be catastrophically injured for Tesla to do the right thing and fix this problem?”

– Lake H. “Trey” Lytal

You’ve likely seen the news stories – images of mangled Tesla vehicles and horrific reports of victims trapped or crushed to death in their cars. A common thread in these stories is the failure of the Autopilot system to detect danger properly and steer drivers away safely.

Despite Tesla marketing its driver assistance programs as safe and fully operational, the Autopilot and Self-Driving features are associated with accidents resulting in severe injuries and deaths, raising significant doubts about the effectiveness of this technology and prompting concerns about its actual safety performance.

Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath are representing the widow of a man killed in a 2019 Tesla Autopilot crash, and we are taking new cases for victims of Tesla Autopilot defects resulting in collisions. If you or someone you know has been in a Tesla crash, please contact us at (561) 655-1990.

Judge finds ‘reasonable evidence’ Tesla knew self-driving tech was defective

Lawsuit blaming Tesla's Autopilot for driver's death can go to trial, judge rules

Lawsuit blaming Tesla's Autopilot for South Florida driver's death can go to trial, judge rules

Evidence shows Tesla, Elon Musk ignored autopilot defects that led to fatal crash, judge rules

Judge says evidence shows Tesla and Elon Musk knew about flawed autopilot system

Evidence shows Tesla, Elon Musk ignored autopilot defects that led to fatal crash, judge rules

What is Autopilot, and what does it do?

Introduced by Tesla in 2014, Autopilot is a suite of features designed to allow the vehicle to autonomously navigate from highway on-ramps to off-ramps. This includes maintaining an appropriate speed and following distances behind other vehicles, all while staying within the designated lane lines.

Tesla includes Standard Autopilot in its vehicles, featuring adaptive cruise control that adjusts the vehicle’s speed to match traffic flow and responds to changing conditions by accelerating or braking. All Teslas come equipped with auto steer, which assists in steering when driving on well-marked lanes.

More advanced versions come with an additional cost.

Enhanced Autopilot and Full-Self Driving

Teslas can be outfitted with the Enhanced Autopilot option, allowing the vehicle to navigate roads autonomously, change lanes independently, and perform other functions. Buyers may purchase the Full-Self Driving (FSD) suite, which enables the vehicle to make active decisions based on traffic sign recognition.

It’s important to note that Tesla explicitly states on its website that the above features do not render its vehicles completely autonomous:

What do the lawsuits claim?

The attorneys with Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath are working to prove that Tesla not only made false claims about the capability of their technology but knew about the defects in their Autopilot technology and intentionally suppressed that knowledge to sell more cars.

Other nationwide lawsuits allege that Tesla:

Introduced Autopilot in a trial phase due to the company’s urgent need to expand its market share.
Knew about a 2017 internal Tesla safety analysis identifying “incorrect steering command” as a defect involving an “excessive” steering wheel angle.
Developed a procedure to address customers encountering steering defects and directed employees not to acknowledge liability or responsibility.

Who can file a Tesla Autopilot crash lawsuit?

You may be eligible to file a Tesla Autopilot lawsuit if:

You purchased or leased a Tesla vehicle in January 2016 or after
Your Tesla has Autopilot or self-driving technology

If you have a Tesla with Autopilot or self-driving features, you may be eligible for compensation from a Tesla self-driving lawsuit, even if you weren’t injured in a crash. Contact the skilled Tesla Autopilot crash lawyers with Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath for more information.

Why work with Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath?

To put it simply – Experience, resilience, and results.

Experience

We have over 30 years of experience taking on the most prominent corporate giants and insurance companies in the United States.
For half a decade, we’ve investigated Tesla crashes worldwide.
Our firm is recognized as one of the most respected and successful plaintiff’s law firms throughout Florida and the United States.
Six of our partners are recognized as Super Lawyers, and seven are listed as Best Lawyers in America, including the law firm that has been recognized as a Best Law Firm in America.

Resilience

We are not intimidated by Tesla’s horde of attorneys and millions of dollars in legal funds – when there’s a case worth fighting, we fight to the end.

In November 2023, Circuit Judge Reid Scott ruled in our favor, dismissing Tesla’s motion to dismiss our lawsuit and stating that we presented sufficient evidence to let the case against Tesla proceed to trial.
We identify all avenues of negligence, including false claims and suppression of evidence.
We consistently push Tesla to admit their heavily marketed “Autopilot” system is defective and dangerous to all on the roadways.

Results

Over 40% of our cases come from referring attorneys and former client referrals.
By 2015, we recovered over $2.5 billion for our clients.

What should I do if my Autopilot malfunctions and causes a crash?

Call 911 and get medical help as soon as possible. Hold on to all medical records and doctor’s notes; these can help with any future legal claims you wish to file.
Gather evidence at the scene. Take plenty of photos and videos, and text yourself a description of what happened. Get photos of the damage to your and other’s vehicles, road signs, and weather conditions. Get contact information of witnesses.
Arrange a free consultation with a Florida Tesla Autopilot crash lawyer. We’ll help you understand your legal options and get started on the road to recovery.

How do you sue Tesla for an Autopilot crash?

To pursue legal action against a car manufacturer, your attorney must prove that the manufacturer is liable (responsible) for the crash and your ensuing injuries and other damages. The general steps for demonstrating product liability are as follows.

1. The manufacturer sold the product

We must demonstrate that Tesla was the commercial seller responsible for selling the specific car involved in the accident.

2. The victim suffered from an injury

We need to provide evidence of the injuries and property damage sustained by the victim.

3. The item was defective when sold

We’ll show that the car was defective at the time of sale.

4. The defect was an actual and proximate cause of the victim’s injury

We must present evidence indicating that the defect in the car directly caused the accident and subsequent injuries.

Tesla recalls almost all of its cars in the U.S. Is your Tesla vehicle subject to the latest recall?

Tesla is recalling over 2 million vehicles equipped with its Autopilot feature because of what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration deems “controls insufficient to prevent misuse.” The recall applies to model-year 2012-23 Model S sedans, 2016-23 Model X SUVs, 2017-23 Model 3 sedans, and 2020-23 Model Y SUVs equipped with Autopilot.

If you own one of these models, follow the instructions for next steps, then contact a Florida Tesla Autopilot crash lawyer at Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath.

Earlier recalls

The following Tesla recalls occurred over nine months.

Recall date	Recall number	Affected vehicles	Issue
11/02/2023	23V743000	2021-2023 Model S and Model X vehicles	Incorrect airbag installation
10/10/2023	23V679000	2021-2023 Model X vehicles	Vehicle controller may fail to detect low brake fluid and will not display a warning light
07/13/2023	23V489000	2023 Model S, Model X, and Model Y vehicles	Forward-facing camera may be misaligned, causing some of the active safety features to become unavailable without alerting the driver
07/13/2023	23V488000	2021-2023 Model S and Model X vehicles	Front-row seat belts may not be connected properly, which can cause the seat belts to detach
06/18/2023	23V434000	2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles	Pyrotechnic battery disconnect may be defective
05/29/2023	23V385000	2022-2023 Model Y vehicles	Steering wheel fastener may be loose
04/04/2023	23V244000	2023 Model X vehicles equipped with a full self-driving computer 4.0 and running software release version 2023.2.200	Weak camera signal strength may prevent the rearview image from displaying
03/30/2023	23V235000	2018-2019 Model 3 vehicles	front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame
02/26/2023	23V130000	2022-2023 Model Y vehicles	Bolts securing the second-row seat back frames may not have been securely tightened
02/14/2023	23V085000	2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation	FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections. System may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver’s adjustment of the vehicle’s speed to exceed posted speed limits.

How many people have died or been injured in Tesla Autopilot crashes?

Tesla Autopilot is implicated in a disturbing number of crashes involving serious injury and death. New data reveals 736 crashes involving Tesla Autopilot have occurred in the US since 2019. Seventeen collisions were fatal, and 11 of those deaths have occurred since May 2022.

Why has there been an uptick in deaths since 2019?

Since 2019, Tesla Autopilot has been implicated in 736 crashes in the United States, with 17 resulting in fatalities. Notably, 11 of these fatalities occurred after May 2022, as per an analysis conducted by the Washington Post on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The report further highlights a possible correlation between the increase in accidents and Tesla’s decision to eliminate radar (radio detection and ranging) from its vehicles. In 2021, the company shifted to exclusively relying on camera-based vision processing. Each Tesla is equipped with eight external cameras to facilitate mapping of the surrounding environment.

Our exceptional Tesla Autopilot crash lawyers are ready to help

Were you or a loved one injured in a Tesla Autopilot crash? Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath is prepared to take on the electric vehicle giant and get you the compensation you deserve. You owe us nothing unless and until we win your case. Arrange a free consultation by calling (561) 655-1990.