Tesla has reached a settlement in a Florida wrongful death lawsuit linked to a 2018 high-speed crash that killed two teenagers, according to court records.
The deal removes the electric vehicle company from the case just as a trial was set to begin in Fort Lauderdale, leaving only the driver's estate as a defendant.
The lawsuit centered on a Tesla Model S that crashed while allegedly traveling at extremely high speed.
Court records show the 18-year-old driver was going about 116 mph on a curve where the speed limit was 25 mph, Reuters reported.
The vehicle then slammed into two concrete walls, killing both the driver and a teenage passenger.
Lawyers for the plaintiff previously argued that Tesla was partly responsible, claiming a technician disabled speed-limiting software without the family's knowledge.
That system had reportedly been set to prevent the car from going above 85 mph. The plaintiffs said removing it may have contributed to the deadly crash.
Tesla settles wrongful death lawsuit over crash that killed Florida teenager https://t.co/s76VUmG8o9 https://t.co/s76VUmG8o9
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Tesla Denies Fault as Wrongful Death Case
According to CNA, Tesla denied any wrongdoing and maintained that the driver's actions were the main cause of the accident.
"Reckless" driving caused the crash "with or without a speed limiter," the company argued in court filings.
Attorneys for both sides did not immediately comment on the settlement, and the exact terms have not been made public.
A court official confirmed the case was settled on Monday after a filing last week indicated an agreement had been reached.
The driver's parents, whose estate was also involved in the case, had disputed claims made against their son's responsibility. Their legal team denied the allegations that Tesla's system played a role in the tragedy.
This case is one of several legal battles involving Tesla and fatal crashes. In a separate incident last year, Tesla settled another wrongful death lawsuit involving a 2021 crash near Dayton, Ohio, where a vehicle caught fire after impact.
The company also continues to appeal a $243 million jury verdict tied to a 2019 Autopilot-related crash in Florida.
Originally published on vcpost.com
