1776Reporting
The family of Genesis Giovanni Mendoza Martinez, a 31-year-old who tragically lost his life in a Tesla Model S crash, has filed a lawsuit against Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk. The lawsuit centers on claims that Tesla’s Autopilot system was marketed as safe and road-ready, leading Mendoza to believe the car could effectively drive itself.
The Fatal Crash
On February 18, 2023, Mendoza was traveling on Interstate 680 near the San Francisco Bay Area when his Tesla Model S collided with a parked fire truck. The truck, stationed with emergency lights flashing to divert traffic from an earlier accident, was struck at 71 mph while the Autopilot system was engaged. Mendoza was reportedly sitting passively in the driver’s seat for at least 12 minutes before the crash, with no brake or accelerator inputs recorded. The impact killed him and left his brother, who was a passenger, severely injured.
Family’s Allegations
Mendoza’s parents, Eduardo and Maria, claim their son purchased the used Tesla in 2021, influenced by Musk’s statements and Tesla’s marketing that the vehicles could drive themselves. The complaint alleges the Autopilot system failed to recognize emergency vehicles, a flaw they argue Tesla was aware of but did not address adequately.
Attorney Brett Schreiber, representing the Mendoza family, described Tesla’s actions as reckless. “This is yet another example of Tesla using our public roadways to perform research and development of its autonomous driving technology. The injuries suffered by the first responders and the death of Mr. Mendoza were entirely preventable,” he stated.
Schreiber also criticized Tesla for opting to release software updates rather than issuing recalls to fix critical defects. He warned, “Many of its earlier model vehicles continue to drive our roadways today with this same defect, putting first responders and the public at risk.”
Tesla’s Defense
In its court filings, Tesla refuted the family’s claims, asserting the vehicle’s design met safety standards and suggesting Mendoza’s “own negligent acts and/or omissions” contributed to the accident. Tesla also argued that no additional warnings or design changes could have prevented the crash.
Further, Tesla pointed to customer misuse and improper maintenance of their vehicles as potential factors in accidents. The company emphasized that damages suffered in the incident were not reasonably foreseeable.
Marketing and Consumer Reports
The lawsuit highlights several misleading statements from Musk and Tesla, including a 2014 shareholder meeting where Musk claimed that, within a year, drivers could navigate “from highway onramp to highway exit without touching any controls.” The complaint alleges such claims gave consumers a false sense of security about the technology’s capabilities.
The complaint also cites a significant number of customer reports filed with Tesla between 2015 and 2022. These included over 1,000 incidents where Autopilot allegedly caused crashes and more than 3,000 instances of sudden braking or acceleration. It accuses Tesla of concealing these reports while continuing to market Autopilot as reliable and advanced.
A Broader Concern
This case is not isolated. The complaint lists multiple accidents involving Tesla vehicles with Autopilot engaged, suggesting systemic issues with the technology. Critics argue that Tesla has used public roads as a testing ground, risking public safety.
As the lawsuit unfolds, it raises important questions about the responsibility of automakers to ensure their advanced technologies are safe and their marketing truthful. For the Mendoza family, the case is about accountability. As their attorney noted, “The death of Mr. Mendoza was entirely preventable.”
The outcome of this lawsuit may set a precedent for how companies are held accountable for autonomous driving technology in the future.
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