Tesla autopilot lawsuit court proceedings begin in Santa Clara County

A mother and two children suing Tesla after their loved one died in an autopilot crash began court proceedings in Santa Clara County on Monday, according to court documents. 

Walter Huang died while behind the wheel of a Tesla in Mountain View in March of 2018. A National Transportation and Safety Board investigation later revealed that Huang's Tesla was in autopilot, and he was playing video games while behind the wheel.

Investigators learned that Walter was traveling along U.S. 101 near the State Route 85 junction when his vehicle rammed into a barrier that separated U.S. 101 from SR-85. Huang died from blunt-force injuries he suffered during the crash. 

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The documents filed by the Huang family argue that Elon Musk and Tesla's claims about the safety of the company's autopilot feature were misleading to consumers. The family's attorney also says Tesla is not the only one to blame for Huang's death. 

The Huang family has also filed suit against the State of California for the status of the roadway the day of Huang's deadly crash. Photos from the area where Huang crashed, taken by CalTrans maintenance workers in March of 2018, show that a crushed impact attenuator. An attenuator is a type of barrier used to absorb the impact of high-speed crashes along freeways. However, photos show the attenuator was not fully extended and therefore could not absorb the impact of Huang's fatal crash. 

Attorneys claim that the attenuator had been destroyed eleven days before due to a drunk driving crash. Records from the California Highway Patrol state that CalTrans was informed of the crushed attenuator after the crash. However, CalTrans says CHP did not notify the transit agency.