Tesla faces lawsuit over fatal autopilot motorcycle crash

Tesla safety lawsuit: The family of a motorcyclist who died in a 2022 crash involving a Tesla Model 3 on Autopilot in Utah has filed a lawsuit against Tesla and the vehicle's driver. The lawsuit claims that Tesla's driver assistance software and safety features are "defective and inadequate."

Landon Embry, 34, was killed instantly when the Model 3, operating on Autopilot at speeds of 75-80 miles per hour, collided with his Harley Davidson motorcycle, according to the suit filed in a Salt Lake City court last week.

Prudent driving questioned

The lawsuit contends that the driver of the Model 3 was "tired" and "not in a condition to drive as an ordinarily prudent driver."

It also alleges that Autopilot sensors, including cameras, "should have identified the hazard posed by Decedent’s motorcycle."

"A reasonably prudent driver, or an adequate auto braking system, would have, and could have, slowed or stopped without colliding with the motorcycle," the complaint states.

This case adds to the growing scrutiny of Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems. Recently, a Tesla Model S in "Full Self-Driving" mode struck and killed a 28-year-old motorcyclist near Seattle. Additionally, Tesla settled a lawsuit in April over a 2018 crash that killed an Apple engineer when his Model X, operating on Autopilot, swerved off a highway near San Francisco.

(With Reuters Inputs)