Fatal Tesla Crash in Texas Sparks Legal Battle Over Full Self-Driving Tech
A 76-year-old woman died after a Tesla Model 3 crashed into her home, and the family is suing both the driver and Tesla, alleging the Full Self-Driving feature played a role.
Last week in Texas, a tragic crash occurred when a Tesla Model 3 traveling at over 70 miles per hour slammed into the home of 76-year-old Martha Avila, killing her. The family has filed a lawsuit against both the driver, Michael Butler, and Tesla, claiming that the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature was partly responsible.
According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, Butler showed no signs of intoxication. He later told police that Tesla's driver assistance features were engaged at the time of the crash. The lawsuit, filed in Harris County District Court, alleges that Tesla's technology was "defective in design and unreasonably dangerous."
Tesla vice president of AI software Ashok Elluswamy wrote on X that Tesla data shows Butler manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator to 100% and kept it pressed even after the crash. Tesla CEO Elon Musk dismissed speculation that the company's technology was involved as "makes no sense."
While it's unclear if FSD was actually a factor, experts note that Tesla could still be found partially liable if the system leads drivers to lose vigilance. A precedent exists: last year, a Florida jury found Tesla one-third responsible for a crash where a driver failed to intervene while using Autopilot. The jury awarded $200 million in punitive damages and $43 million in compensatory damages.
Critics argue that because FSD works well, drivers may over-rely on it and fail to react when needed. In a 2018 California crash, a Model X driver using Autopilot did not take over before hitting a barrier, resulting in his death. Tesla later settled a related lawsuit.
Two federal agencies—the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—have opened investigations into the crash. NHTSA is also probing whether FSD adequately warns drivers to take control.
Ryan Zehl, the family's lawyer, said they are "understandably devastated" and committed to determining what happened to prevent future tragedies.
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