A federal court in New York has dismissed a lawsuit against Tesla, in which a driver claimed that a faulty touchscreen display caused a car accident. The judge concluded that the plaintiff failed to provide sufficient evidence of a technical malfunction, and the circumstances of the accident pointed to human error and difficult weather conditions. This is reported by Autoblog, writes UNN.
Details
The accident occurred in March 2022 on a snowy highway in Yonkers, New York. The driver of a 2021 Tesla Model 3 lost control of the car, resulting in a collision with median barriers. The police report stated that the vehicle hydroplaned, and the main factors in the incident were exceeding the safe speed and careless lane change in icy conditions.
Plaintiff's Arguments and Tesla's Position
Robin Nicole Wilson-Wolfe, who filed the lawsuit, claimed that the car's touchscreen completely froze while driving. This allegedly deprived her of access to speed readings and windshield wiper controls, which led to the loss of control.
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However, Tesla representatives provided the court with telemetry and diagnostic data for the specific car during that period, which did not record any software or hardware failures of the screen.
Why the case was closed
Judge Nelson Roman ruled that proving manufacturer fault in cases involving "complex automotive software" requires testimony from independent experts. The plaintiff did not involve any specialist who could confirm the defect or refute Tesla's data. In addition, the court emphasized that even if the screen fails, the main control functions - steering wheel, brakes, and accelerator - remain fully functional, allowing the driver to safely stop the car.
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