Tesla wins lawsuit as court dismisses shareholder claims over Autopilot
What's the story
Tesla and its head honcho, Elon Musk, just scored a big win in court! A federal judge tossed out a lawsuit that claimed they misled shareholders about how safe and effective their driver-assist tech really is. US District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin decided that the plaintiffs couldn't prove Musk acted with "deliberate recklessness" when he claimed that Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) tech were safer than human drivers.
Legal interpretation
Judge's interpretation of Musk's claims
Judge Martinez-Olguin saw a lot of Musk's comments about self-driving tech as just "corporate puffery," or basically, hype about what's to come. She also pointed out that some of those claims might fall under "forward-looking statements," which are all about what to expect in the future. The case got dismissed without prejudice, meaning it can be brought back with some tweaks if needed.
Legal challenges
Tesla's legal track record and ongoing investigations
This dismissal is yet another win for Tesla, which has been racking up court victories over its advanced driver-assist tech. Last year, the company scored two jury trial wins that put the blame for vehicle accidents on Autopilot. However, Tesla is still under the microscope with multiple investigations into its self-driving claims by the California attorney general's office and the US Department of Justice.