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Tesla has agreed to settle a 2018 case concerning a man who died after crashing his Model X into a barrier while the vehicle was in Autopilot mode.
Wei “Walter” Huang, 38, was an Apple engineer and father of two, and his family will receive an undisclosed sum as part of the settlement, The Washington Post reports. The deal still needs final approval from a judge; another hearing is scheduled for April 11, The Verge notes.
The news comes two years after Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla was "building a hardcore litigation department" that would "never surrender/settle an unjust case against us, even if we will probably lose."
In a blog post published shortly after the crash, Tesla confirmed that Huang's car had Autopilot engaged. Autopilot is the lowest tier of Tesla's three autonomous driving packages. It includes two main features: smart cruise control and auto lane-keeping.
In the blog post, Tesla says Huang received "several visual" alerts and an audible one earlier in the drive and noted that "Tesla Autopilot does not prevent all accidents."
Huang had a habit of playing games on his phone while commuting, and investigators found a game was the foremost app on his phone at the time of the crash, but they could not determine if he was playing it at the time.
"While using Autopilot, it is your responsibility to stay alert, keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times and maintain control of your vehicle," reads the Tesla manual.
Huang's case hinged on the fact that Autopilot claims to work with clearly defined lane markings. Before crashing into the barrier at 71mph, the Model X veered away from a "faded" lane line toward a clearer one on the left. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) later criticized Tesla’s failure to limit the "misuse" of its technology in such conditions, the Post reports.
In 2019, another Tesla driver died after crashing into a semi-truck just 10 seconds after Autopilot was engaged. The Model 3 was traveling at 68mph on a highway with a 55mph speed limit.
Settling the case will avoid a lengthy trial, which could harm Tesla's efforts to push Autopilot forward. Last month, all Tesla customers received a free trial of the Full Self-Driving technology, which is the highest level of autonomous driving Tesla offers. The company's long-awaited robotaxi debut is coming up on Aug. 8.
Tesla reiterates that its internal data suggests self-driving cars will prevent more crashes. The NTSB also notes the safety benefits of the new technology on its website.