Overview
- The Martinez family’s wrongful-death case settled during jury selection Monday after a court order Sunday removed Tesla as a defendant.
- The lawsuit stemmed from a May 2018 Fort Lauderdale crash in a 2014 Model S at about 116 mph on a low-speed curve that killed driver Barrett Riley and passenger Edgar Monserrat Martinez and triggered a fire.
- Plaintiffs alleged a Tesla technician disabled a parent-installed speed limiter that capped the car at 85 mph without consent, while Tesla said the driver’s reckless speeding caused the crash regardless.
- A court had allowed some battery-design expert testimony to go forward before trial, and the settlement closed the case with terms not disclosed.
- The deal fits a broader pattern as Tesla contests or settles crash suits, including a $243 million federal verdict over a 2019 Autopilot fatality that it is appealing.