Family Sues Tesla After Autopilot Fails to Detect Motorcycle

Reuters
2026.01.09 21:49
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The family of a 28-year-old man has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla after a Model S on Autopilot failed to detect a stopped motorcycle, leading to a fatal crash in Washington. The lawsuit claims Tesla's Autopilot system is unsafe, encourages overreliance, and was misrepresented in marketing. It alleges the company did not adequately warn drivers about known hazards and ignored previous incidents. The legal action seeks to hold Tesla accountable for its Autopilot design and promotion.

The family of a 28-year-old man has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla Inc. after a Tesla Model S operating on Autopilot failed to detect a stopped motorcycle, resulting in a fatal crash. The incident occurred on April 19, 2024, in Snohomish County, Washington, when the Tesla, driven by Carl Hunter, struck and killed Jeffrey Nissen Jr., who was stopped in traffic on his motorcycle. The lawsuit, filed in Snohomish County Superior Court, alleges that Tesla’s Autopilot system is unsafe, encourages driver overreliance, and was misrepresented in the company’s marketing. The complaint claims Tesla failed to adequately warn drivers about known hazards and ignored years of similar crashes and federal investigations. The legal action aims to hold Tesla accountable for the design and promotion of its Autopilot system. Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Tesla Inc. published the original content used to generate this news brief via Business Wire (Ref. ID: 20260109230432) on January 09, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. © Copyright 2026 - Public Technologies (PUBT)