Tesla faces a lawsuit for the death of an engineer due to an autopilot failure

The family of a man who was burned in a car accident aboard his Tesla on US Route 101 in California sued the electric vehicle maker, alleging deaths and negligence attributable to failures of the autopilot assistance system.

Walter Huang, a 38-year-old Apple engineer, was driving his Tesla Model X SUV in Mountain View, California, when the autopilot system accelerated to 120 km / h and crashed against a safety barrier. kill Huang and leave behind a pile of charred remains.

The family alleged that the autopilot was at fault. Tesla improved the sophistication of the driver assistance system and promised to improve the autonomous driving capabilities of its vehicles by the end of the year. However, some critics say that Autopilot software gives drivers a false sense of security.

"Ms. Huang lost her husband and two children became orphaned because Tesla continues to test his autopilot on human beings," said Mark Fong, partner at Minami Tamaki LLP, one of the companies that represents the family. . "The Huang family wants to help prevent this tragedy to other drivers who use Tesla vehicles or other semi-autonomous vehicles."

The autopilot is an advanced driver assistance system with features to maintain the car at a certain speed, to maintain a safe distance in traffic and to follow the given instructions. But the family claimed that the autopilot technology had inflated Huang's false hopes.

The case, which is one of the many tests Tesla has faced in recent years with its autopilot system, could have wider consequences for the company, which is also trying to convince more consumers to buy their products. vehicles. The alleged problems with the autopilot could also generate greater regulatory hurdles for the company trying to deploy a fleet of automatic taxis, something that the executive chairman, Elon Musk, plans to introduce in the coming years.

The lawyers said that they would continue to press for information on all accidents and injuries related to autopilot function, in order to gather more information for the process.

At a press conference, Fong, accompanied by Huang's widow, Sevonne Huang, said the engineer had bought his Tesla vehicle as a gift after saving enough. But shortly after his purchase, he complained to his family about alleged autopilot failures, Fong said. He also drove the car to a dealership, who said it was no problem and that he could continue driving it, Fong added.

Tesla testified that it consulted its service records and found no complaints from Huang regarding the performance of the autopilot. Instead, the company stated that its only complaint was a navigation problem, which was unrelated to the performance of the autopilot.

Huang "he believed that the 2017 Tesla Model X vehicle was safer than a vehicle driven by humans", said in a section of the lawsuit filed with the court. The lawsuit accuses Tesla of designing a defective product, an intentional misrepresentation, negligence and false advertising, among other charges.

"The Huang Tesla navigation system misinterpreted the lane lines on the highway and accelerated the vehicle, instead of stopping it," lawyers said Wednesday.

"This system is not safe, it's not something that should be made public and that certainly should not be advertised as an autopilot system," Fong added at a news conference. telephone conversation with journalists.

The complaint stated that, although Tesla announced that the X-Model is "at the forefront," there was no automatic brake system in Huang that could have prevented collision with the road barrier, while the technology is being implemented in other companies such as Chrysler, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Subaru.

The family claims that Tesla and Caltrans are responsible for Huang's death and are demanding medical, hospital, funeral and burial expenses, as well as any other compensation in the California Superior Court.