- Start
- Feb 19, 202690% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
Judge Bloom Upholds the $243 Million Autopilot Verdict Against Tesla
- Judge Beth Bloom of the Southern District of Florida denied Tesla's amended renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law or a new trial in Benavides v. Tesla (No. 21-cv-21940) on 19 February 2026, and directed the clerk to close the case[1]
- She held that 'the evidence admitted at trial more than supports the jury verdict' and found no error affecting Tesla's rights, on the design-defect and failure-to-warn counts and on punitive damages[1]
- Tesla had argued Florida law bars punitive damages in such a case or caps them at three times compensatory damages, and had asked for the compensatory award to be cut to no more than $69 million[1][6]
- The verdict of 1 August 2025 put Tesla at 33% fault on $129 million of compensatory damages and added $200 million in punitive damages[2]
- Insurance Journal reported the plaintiffs' lawyer Adam Boumel saying 'Autopilot was defective, and Tesla put it on American roads before it was ready'[4]
- Electrek noted Tesla had turned down a $60 million settlement before trial and has since settled at least four other Autopilot crash suits[5]
- Tesla appealed: its notice of appeal to the Eleventh Circuit, dated 16 March 2026, covers both the final judgment and this order[3]
References 688% CONFIDENCEOverall confidence: 88%How well the pin's source and references back up its dates.Weighted average of how firmly 6 references, the source included, support the pin's start and end times; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newestShow all pins at 75% confidence or better
The first entry is always the pin's source. Overall confidence is a weighted average of how firmly each reference supports the start and end times used above; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newest.
- [1]90%storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.593426/gov.uscourts.flsd.593426.612.0.pdfstorage.courtlistener.com· Posted Sep 28, 2026· Starts Feb 19, 2026 ✓· 30% of score
The order ends 'DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Miami, Florida, on February 19, 2026' and was entered on the docket on 20 February.
- [2]95%Tesla, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026sec.gov· Published Jul 23, 2026· 23% of score
Tesla's filing: it filed its post-trial motion on 15 September 2025, 'On February 19, 2026, the Court denied the Company's post-trial motions', and it filed its opening brief with the Eleventh Circuit on 2 July 2026; it has recorded an immaterial accrual.[1]
- [3]90%Notice of Appeal, Benavides v. Tesla (ECF 616)storage.courtlistener.com· Published Mar 16, 2026· 14% of score
Tesla's notice of appeal to the Eleventh Circuit, dated 16 March 2026, from the final judgment entered on 4 August 2025 and the order denying its post-trial motion entered on 20 February 2026; signed by Wendy Lumish with Gibson Dunn's Theodore Boutrous and Julian Poon and Miguel Estrada.[1]
- [4]90%Judge Upholds $243M Verdict Against Tesla Over Fatal Autopilot Crashinsurancejournal.com· Published Feb 23, 2026· 13% of score
Reports that Judge Beth Bloom, in a decision made public on Friday, said the evidence 'more than supports' the August 2025 verdict and that Tesla raised no new arguments; quotes plaintiffs' lawyer Adam Boumel and Tesla's position that the driver was solely to blame.[1]
- [5]70%Tesla sues California DMV to reverse 'Full Self-Driving' false advertising rulingelectrek.co· Published Feb 23, 2026· 13% of score
Notes that 'a federal judge upheld the historic $243 million verdict' the previous week, that Tesla had rejected a $60 million settlement offer before trial and has since settled at least four other Autopilot crash suits.[1]
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