Elon Musk looms over jury selection in Tesla Autopilot fatality trial

Elon Musk speaks to US President Donald Trump (not in the picture) at the White House on May 30, 2025 at Washington, DC.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
Tesla CEO Elon Musk was not in a Miami courtroom on Monday, but a jury was chosen for a civilian case on the 2019 accident of Tesla Model S, which was killed by a pedestrian and car in autopilot mode.
El Elon is very difficult for me, dedi everything containing Elon Musk said, a potential jury.
Another jury member said that the company could not be fair and neutral for Tesla because of the company’s “Morality, Ownership and its relationship with the government”.
The case is the first case against fatal accidents that involve the autopilot system of the electric vehicle company against Tesla.
Months after Musk’s work as President Donald Trump’s senior advisor, Brain Child, Brain Child, made a synonymous household name with the government’s efficiency department.
The richest man in the world made headlines because he fell to Trump via the President’s federal tax reform and expenditure bill and typically injected fresh drama to the votes of the congress.
“Elon Musk is difficult and does not have a view, positive or negative,” Tesla’s lawyer Thomas Branigan said to the members of the possible jury on Monday.
“This case is not about Musk. But it depends on the company, Bran Branigan said, asking if the jury members could not put aside about Musk.
The three jury members raised their hands to say that they had ideas that would make it impossible for them to approach the case impartially.
A Tesla vehicle Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. The US Courthouse, the jury election began on July 14, 2025 in connection with allegations on the security of Tesla’s autopilot system in Miami, Florida.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
“It would be difficult. I understand that it’s not Tesla. But Tesla is very attached to the brand,” a man said he wasn’t sure whether he can leave his views aside.
The other two jury, who previously expressed the negative views of Musk, reiterated these views to Tesla’s lawyer.
Branigan asked a jury member what he had written about hearing something in the news about Tesla in response to a jury survey.
Two other jury members spoke against Musk before and shared the same views.
“This case is more about who is, not for who,” Adam replied.
“I’m quite independent,” he said. “I can be neutral, about accident and what happened.”
Six women and three men were chosen for the jury.
The case in the US Regional Court was opened to Tesla by Naibel Benavides family by his boyfriend Dillon Angulo, who was seriously injured and seriously injured from the accident. George McGee, the driver of the vehicle, was not a defendant at the hearing and was reported to have already settled in plaintiffs.
Plaintiffs claim that Tesla’s autopilot feature is defective and insecure.
It is one of the more than a dozen cases in which Tesla’s autop pilot or full self -driving modes of the company are used by a driver.
FSD is a premium version of Tesla’s partial automatic driving system. Otopilot is a standard option for all new Tesla vehicles.
Tesla’s website now describes Autopilot as “an advanced driver assistance system that increases the safety and comfort behind the steering wheel”.
Tesla, “In addition, with self -driving (controlled) Tesla can take your vehicle almost anywhere, ribbon changes, you can choose forks to follow your navigation path, you can navigate around other tools and objects and make left and right turns under your active control.”
“Tesla ignored the warnings before and after this crime,” Brett Schreiber, a lawyer for the plaintiffs after the jury was elected, said in a statement, “Before and after this crime.”
“You will hear these motivations and evidence that Tesla is doing what Tesla is doing.” Schreiber said. He said. “Was the Silicon Valley the morality of moving quickly and breaking something? This will be determined.”
The lawyer said, “What is not in disagreement is the collapsed driver careless, distracted, on his phone and falls, then capturing.” He said. “It took about 60 miles per hour into my client.”
“This is a situation about the common responsibility. Tesla will not take any responsibility for the failures of automatic pilot systems. Evidence will show that each actor needs a stage and will show Tesla’s ground for preventive actions that bring us here.” He said.
Attorney jury, Musk’s “superhuman” sensors in Tesla vehicles will be presented to the public about the procurement of evidence will be presented.
At a conference, Musk said that according to Schreiber, the car was “safer than a person”.
“Evidence clearly shows that Tesla has nothing to do with autopilot technology. Instead, this caused by many unfortunate accidents, such as many unfortunate accidents, this attention was caused by a scattered driver.”
“According to the loan, he took responsibility for his actions because he suppresses the accelerator, accelerating and invalidating the car’s system during the accident. In 2019, there was no accident technology to prevent this tragic accident.” He said.
– Dan Mangan reported from Miami from New York and Maria Pinero.




