US jury hands Tesla sweeping win over Autopilot feature

A California state court jury has handed Tesla Inc a sweeping win, finding that the carmaker's Autopilot feature did not fail to perform safely in what appears to be the first trial related to a crash involving the partially automated driving software. The verdict could be an important victory for Tesla as it tests and rolls out its Autopilot and more advanced "Full Self-Driving (FSD)" system, which Chief Executive Elon Musk has touted as crucial to his company's future, but which has drawn regulatory and legal scrutiny. Justine Hsu, a resident of Los Angeles, sued the electric vehicle maker in 2020, saying her Tesla Model S swerved into a curb while it was on Autopilot and then an airbag was deployed "so violently it fractured Plaintiff's jaw, knocked out teeth, and caused nerve damage to her face". She alleged there were defects in the design of Autopilot and the airbag, and sought more than $3m in damages for the alleged defects and other claims. Tesla denied liability for the 2019 accident.