Elon Musk Not Required to Testify Over Vehicle Crash

(InformingNews.com) – Elon Musk will not testify in the Tesla Inc. case blaming the company’s autopilot system for a fatal accident in Florida. The plaintiff’s attorneys said only Musk had detailed knowledge about the company’s interactions with government safety regulators that would help prove their case. Florida Circuit Court Judge Janis Keyser determined Musk had no knowledge of the issues and therefore would not be open for deposition.

The ruling means lawyers will not be able to question the CEO, which is a significant benefit for Tesla. Still, it’s a blow to the deceased driver’s family. Not having access to Musk makes it harder for them to prove his decisions and influence led to bad choices and ignored warnings about the autopilot technology.

The lawsuit is over the 2019 accident that caused the death of Jeremy Banner. While on autopilot, his car hit a semi crossing the road. The family seeks to show Tesla did not create a safety feature for the autopilot setting that would shut it down in the event of a dangerous situation.

Tesla claims the company has always been fully honest about the limitations of autopilot. They said there are warnings within the system to alert drivers to stay vigilant when using the technology.

The case “Banner v. Tesla Inc.” is in the Circuit Court of 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida. The trial will begin on September 20.

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